Remember When?
by Kari Gilmore
Summary: To help Pumbaa's nerves about becoming a father, the meerkats decided to share memories.
1. Lighten the Mood

Yatta, the faithful readers have returned to read my works! Since I had Timon become a father at the end of my last fic, I'd show Pumbaa waiting for his turn. Unlike my past work, this will revolve around different memories, kinda like a clip show. I just hope I can make it better than a clip show. I had so many different memories I wanted to write about, but I hate writing short one-chapter stories, so I thought I'd just merge them into one and hope they get good reviews. Here's hoping. Oh, and don't expect every chapter up every few days... often anyway. Not totally planned out. Anyway, read on!  
  
Remember When...?  
By Kari Gilmore  
  
Chapter 1:  
  
Timon has been a father for two weeks now, and so far his son and daughter are still alive. So far Timon's confidence has grown, but then again his pups have yet learned how to speak, walk on their back legs, or developed a personality. On this day, the ninth day of spring, Timon and his family plan to spend the day with Timon's best friend Pumbaa to give the warthog some emotional support.  
  
Pumbaa paced in front of the river, shaking his head and mumbling. He let out a few whimpers, sped the pacing, and then slowed back down once in a while. Timon's attention wavered between his friend's pacing and his mate Zuri tending to their pups Kito and Shani. Timon's mother and Uncle Max were standing nearby.  
  
Pumbaa suddenly stopped pacing and sat down with a pant. "How long have I been doing that?" he asked.  
  
"I'd say about an hour," Zuri said as she watched her son Kito try to attack a passing grub, only to miss.  
  
"No wonder... I feel like I've been pacing for an hour." He laid down.  
  
"I'm impressed, Pumbaa. You're handling the situation better than Timon when Kito and Shani were coming," Ma said as she walked over to Pumbaa.  
  
"I wasn't _that_ bad, Ma," Timon said with a furrowed brow.  
  
"He's right, Panya... he was worse," Uncle Max said.  
  
"_Hey!_"  
  
"I guess I'm more _depressed_ than I am worried," Pumbaa said.  
  
"Depressed?" Timon asked. Pumbaa let out a whimper and looked away from the meerkats, sniffling. Timon's face saddened when Pumbaa's did. "Oh, yeah... I forgot."  
  
"Forgot what?" Ma asked.  
  
Timon drummed his fingertips together as he thought of a way to put his next sentence. "Well, lemme put it this way: Simba and I aren't the only ones who had a tragic event happen in our childhood."  
  
"Oh, dear... what happened?" Ma asked, looking at Pumbaa with a sadden expression.  
  
"Yeah, come to think of it, you've never told me," Timon said, putting his paws on his hips as he turned back to Pumbaa. "I mean, I'm assuming this tragic event happened in your childhood when it could've happened a week before we met. And all I know is you'll all alone in this big empty world."  
  
"Well, it _did_ happen when I was young," Pumbaa said with a sniffle.  
  
"Hey, I was right about something," Timon mused.  
  
"Do you really wanna know?"  
  
"Well, Pumbaa, it'd be a nice change of pace... I mean, we tell you about _our_ lives... we know next to nothing about you, at least before you met Timon," Zuri said.  
  
"Besides, it might take your mind off worrying about Jina for a while," Uncle Max nodded.  
  
"If you want, we can tell you some more stories after you tell us what happened in your childhood," Timon said as pat one of Pumbaa's tusks.  
  
"Well, to be honest, I was young when it happened, so I might not remember it fully," Pumbaa said as he pushed a pebble forward.  
  
"We can't have that." Timon rubbed his chin, and then grinned. He walked over to Pumbaa and held a spider draggling from a thread of web in front of him. "Maybe this'll help?"  
  
"Sorry, Timon, but I'm not that hungry. Besides, I don't think bribing me will help me remember."  
  
Timon then slowly swung the spider in front of Pumbaa's eyes. "Just watch the pretty spider, Pumbaa." Pumbaa did as he was told, watching the spider swing in front of his eyes. "You are getting _very_ sleepy--"  
  
"No, I'm not, Timon."  
  
"I'm _telling_ you you're getting sleepy!"  
  
"OK, if you insist." Pumbaa then said in a hypnotic tone to humor Timon, "I am getting _very_ sleepy..." He mumbled in his normal tone, "Even though I'm really not..."  
  
"Good... you are under my control..."  
  
Pumbaa paused for a moment. "I am?"  
  
"You are! Now shut up until I tell you to talk."  
  
"OK."  
  
"Now, Pumbaa, when I snap my fingers, you will enter a deep trance and fall asleep. Understand?"   
  
"... Can I talk now?"  
  
"_Yes,_ you can talk now," Timon said in a slightly annoyed tone.  
  
"OK. Yes, I understand," Pumbaa nodded in his humoring hypnotic tone.   
  
"Good." Timon snapped his fingers... and then he fell onto his back, snoring.  
  
Pumbaa blinked at Timon falling asleep all of a sudden. "Timon?"  
  
"I think his aim was off," Zuri said with a giggle.  
  
Uncle Max walked over to Timon, sat him up, and waved a paw in front of his eyes. Timon didn't respond. "Klutz. He can't even hypnotize a _warthog,_" he mumbled to himself. He snapped his fingers in front of Timon's eyes, and then Timon snapped awake.  
  
"What's for breakfast?" He shook his head and then turned back to Pumbaa, furrowing his brow. "Why isn't he asleep?"  
  
"Because I'm not really sleepy?" Pumbaa asked timidly.  
  
"_What?_"  
  
"Well, let's face it, Timon, I can't be told I'm getting sleepy when I'm really not. You're just going to have to face facts that I won't remember every single detail."  
  
Timon walked over to Pumbaa and walked on his face up to the top of his head. "Sure you can! The memory is in that pea-brain noggin of yours somewhere." Timon pulled Pumbaa's ear up and peeked side, as if expecting to see his brain. "Well, what do we have here...? 'This space for rent.' _Ha!_"  
  
"_Hey!_"  
  
Timon released Pumbaa's ear and patted his head. "Just kidding, buddy."  
  
Pumbaa sat up and folded his front legs in front of his chest. "Sorry, Timon, but I'm not going to take that kind of joking lightly today. Now I'm not gonna tell you the story at all."  
  
"Aww, _c'mon,_ Pumbaa--!"  
  
"_No._"  
  
Timon sat down on Pumbaa's head and folded his arms in front of his chest. "Crud." He drummed his fingers on his arms for a few minutes, thinking. He then sighed. "OK, Pumbaa, I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood. You're going to be a father anytime, and I just wanted you to try to relax before you started wearing a deeper path than I did when my pups were born."  
  
"There _are_ other ways to lighten my mood without the use of poor jokes, Timon," Pumbaa said, looking up at his friend sitting on his head.  
  
"_Poor jokes?!_ That was a _classic!_ I--" Timon looked down at Pumbaa, who did not look amused. He flashed a big nervous smile and chuckled. "Point taken. Uh, what did you have in mind for mood lighteners, my porcine pal?"  
  
"Hearing more stories. Then maybe I'll tell _my_ story."  
  
"I've run just about out of stories," Ma said, rubbing her forehead.  
  
"Then how about a memory day?" Zuri asked.  
  
"Memory day?" Timon and Pumbaa both asked.  
  
"Well, there must be some stories we don't all know. Panya and Uncle Max don't know everything that happened when Timon left the colony. We don't know exactly how Timon and Pumbaa met or what they were thinking about when they met. Not so much as stories, but memories. It'd be a nice change of pace."  
  
"Not a bad idea, Zuri," Ma said.  
  
"Not to mention it'll take my mind off Jina's condition for a while," Pumbaa said, wagging his tail.  
  
Timon slid down Pumbaa's face and landed on the ground. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to _rememorizing!_"  
  
"Uh, you mean remembering, don't you, Timon?"  
  
"Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever."  
  
_To be continued..._


	2. Scurry, Sniff, Flinch

Back so soon? Sweet. I used quite a bit of the "Intro to Scurry, Flinch, Sniff" deleted scene from the Lion King 1 1/2 DVD in this chapter. I mean, come on! That "scratch and sniff" joke was too good to leave on the cutting room floor! Also put that song in, too. Anyway, read on! UPDATE: Removed lyrics. 

Chapter 2:

"I don't mean to spoil the excitement here, but uh... how are we going to determine who shares a memory first?" Ma asked.

"Draw straws?" Uncle Max asked, holding up some hay straws.

"Nah, I couldn't draw well enough to save my life," Timon said as he fished a worm out of a hole in the ground. He slurped it like a strand of spaghetti and then licked his fingers. "Even though drawing straws would be easy."

"Not actually _drawing_ straws, Timon! Pick a straw out of these five and the one with the longest straw shares a memory first!" Uncle Max said, pushing the fist with straws in front of Timon's face.

"Oh, you mean _draw_ straws, not draw straws," Timon nervously chuckled.

"Right. Wait, what? Look, just pick a straw!" Max growled.

"You have no sense of humor, Uncle Max." Timon picked a straw and waited for everyone else. The rest took their picks of straws, the winner being Uncle Max.

"Maybe not, but I get to go before you, pup." Uncle Max tapped the straw on the side of his nose, thinking. "Hmm... what do I want to share?" He thought for another moment, and then nodded. "Oh, I know. Timon, remember when you were 8 months old and I pulled you pups aside to learn the sentry moves?"

"Oh, how could I forget?" Timon asked with a roll of his eyes and a groan.

"Ooo, he groaned. This must be a good one!" Zuri giggled as she sat next to Pumbaa, pulling Kito and Shani over next to her. "C'mhere, kids. Let's hear a story about Daddy."

Timon looked over at her with a furrowed brow, and then nervously smiled to his uncle. "Do you have to choose _that _memory, Uncle Max? You're gonna embarrass me in front of my pups."

"I drew the first straw, Timon. I get first picks," Uncle Max grinned, ruffling Timon's hair. "Besides, they're two weeks old. They're not going to remember this." Timon grumbled and fixed it up normally.

"Crud. And by the way, Uncle Max, you're not my father or my mother, so don't mess with my hair."

"Whatever. Now listen up. I instructed the pups to meet outside at the crack of dawn..."

_5 years ago...  
_  
Early in the morning Timon, an 8-month-old meerkat pup _(which is probably considered to be a teenager)_, climbed out of the tunnel and stretched out, yawning. He smacked his lips and scratched his back. "Who's lame-brain idea was it to wake up at the crack of dawn?" He suddenly stiffened when he felt someone standing behind him. He turned around to see Uncle Max, whose hair was starting to turn from brown to gray. Timon nervously smiled. "Oy."

"How's that foot taste?" Uncle Max asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Not too good, actually. But can you blame me? I'm not used to waking up this early."

"Need I remind you, Timon, about the old days when your ancestors woke up before the crack of dawn to dig tunnels? Would you like us to start that again, so you can get used to getting up this early?"

Timon sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, Uncle Max."

"Good. Because I'm getting too old for that. Now get moving." He put a paw on Timon's back and pushed him forward.

Timon started walking on his own. "What's today's lesson?"

"You and the rest of the pups will be taught the three basic positions of sentry duty."

"Ooo, the three basic positions of sentry duty," Timon said in sarcastic awe.

"Keep it up, pup, and I'll be calling on you first to demonstrate."

"Crud." They walked to a group of waiting meerkat pups, about the same age as Timon, near the rock and tree sentry point. Timon sat down with the pups as Uncle Max climbed to the top of the rock and picked up the twig that was lying there.

"Everyone here? Good." Max tapped the twig in the palm of his paw and paced in front of the pups. "All right, class. Today we will be learning how to be a successful meerkat sentry. The main purpose of the sentry is to alert the colony of intruders, predators, or weather conditions." He glared at Timon, who was quietly yawning. Max cleared his throat. "Timon, suppose you'd like to tell the class about the first thing we do when we see a... hyena?"

Timon gulped when he noticed the rest of the pups staring at him. He nervously chuckled and shrugged, "Scream 'Mommy?'"

"That's right, mister!" Timon blinked, surprised. The rest of the pups were surprised as well. "The world out there is fraught with danger! **FRAUGHT I TELL YOU**!"

"Oh, boy. The fraught fest," Timon mumbled as he rubbed his forehead.

"Uh, Max, we already know the world is fraught with danger. Can you continue with the lesson?" a pup spoke up.

"Huh? Oh, right." Max cleared his throat and started to pace in front of the pups again. "Now, then. To be a successful sentry, you must be alert and follow these basic steps. Scurry." Uncle Max got down on all fours and scurried on the rock. The pups watched carefully, making some soft movement with their arms. Uncle Max stood on his back legs, stiff as a board. "The next step, sniff." He stuck his nose in the air and sniffed a few times. "If you smell something, we go to the final step. **FLINCH**!" Max held his arms up when he screamed, as if preparing for an animal to attack. Max dropped down from the rock, took a nutshell with berry juice, dipped his twig into the juice, and used it to draw the positions on the rock. "Scurry, sniff, flinch. Memorize it."

"Uh, do we still flinch if we don't smell anything?" Timon asked, raising his paw up.

"You'll always smell something, Timon."

"You mean like the the grass? Dirt? The trees?" He feigned fear, "Ooo, look out, everyone! The leaves are falling from the trees! They're going to attack us! Aah!" A few of the pups chuckled, then suddenly became silent. Timon gulped when Uncle Max was suddenly in front of him, glaring. He nervously chuckled, "C'mon, Uncle Max. Where's your sense of humor?"

"I left it back in the nest. And you've just volunteered to demonstrate the moves in front of the class."

"I did?"

"You did." He helped Timon up and pushed him forward towards the rock.

Timon sighed and climbed to the top, mumbling the order to himself. "Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, sniff, flinch." He got to the top and started to say it loud enough for everyone else to hear. "Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, sniff, flinch. Scurry, flinch--"

"No, Timon, it's **SNIFF**!" Uncle Max growled.

Timon stopped himself, not really paying attention to Max. "No, wait, how did it go? Flinch, then sniff... or scratch and sniff? And... where did the scurrying come in?" He turned to Uncle Max, panicked. "Uncle Max, I've never scurried before! What if I flinch without sniffing? I mean, would it really matter? Would it be that big of a deal to go out of order?"

Max slapped a paw over his eyes, slowly dragging it over his face. "Timon. Don't question tradition. It's Scurry. Sniff. Flinch. Now... **_SCURRY, SNIFF, FLINCH_**!" The sudden outburst surprised Timon enough to lose his balance, causing him to fall and then land on the other side of the rock. The pups laughed at Timon's fall. Uncle Max sighed, "Forget it. Timon, you can go on home. Class, we're moving the lesson over here." The group of pups let out a few more laughs before standing and following Max away from the rock and tree.

Timon mumbled a few ow's, rubbing his head. He jumped up to grab the edge of the rock to peek over the top. He saw the group was walking away, leaving him alone. Timon sighed, defeated, and dropped back down to the ground. He looked to the meerkat-sized rock set under a few carved pictures of a meerkat's story on the larger rock. Timon sighed again and knelt down to the small rock, his father's grave.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I screwed up again. I try to fit in, really, I do. But I guess the harder I try, the worse it gets. I doubt Uncle Max will ask me to be on sentry duty anytime soon. There are just so many unanswered questions. I wish you were here to answer them for me." Timon then climbed up on top of the sentry rock and watched Uncle Max demonstrate the sentry moves, and the pups copying him.

"Scurry, sniff, flinch... Scurry, sniff, flinch..." Uncle Max could be heard.

Timon watched him, and then imitated the movements from what he could see from afar. "Scurry, sniff, flinch... Scurry, sniff, flinch..." Timon stopped and then sat down on the rock. He sighed again. "There's gotta be more to this life than livingin constant fear and being eaten. I mean,so what if we're appetizers? A cabbage is an appetizer." He dropped down from the rock and picked up the nutshell with the berry juice.He stuck his finger into the juice and then started to smear it on the rock. He drew a crude picture of a hyena and drew a red circle and line over it."I wish I could just put this tunnel-digging behind me, and find a life worth living. And maybe..." Timon stopped and stared at the picture of the hyena, and then shook his head. "I'll find that perfect life someday, Dad. I promise." Timon dusted his paws off and then walked back to the tunnels, yawning. "I guess the day is still young... I'm going back to bed." He dropped back down into the tunnel. Uncle Max watched him from a distance, and shook his head.

_Present...  
_  
Zuri was on her back, laughing. "You couldn't even perform the scurry, sniff, flinch? Oh, Timon, I can't believe you!"

Timon slapped a paw over his eyes, and slowly dragged it over his face. "Thanks, Uncle Max. You've brighten up my mate's day by telling her what a loser I was when I was a pup."

"She's gotta know what she married," Uncle Max said as he gathered the straws again.

"Don't be so mean to my boy, Max," Ma said in a stern voice.

"But I liked that memory," Zuri said as she sat back up.

"You did?" Timon asked, blinking.

"Sure. It was funny." She let out a few more giggles. "I'm only sorry we didn't know each other when we were younger."

"Oy... why couldn't it be a story she wouldn't believe? Like when I told her I raised a lion?" Timon asked himself, rolling his eyes.

"I liked it, too, not because Timon was a screw-up," Pumbaa said.

"Gee, thanks, Pumbaa," Timon said dryly. He then clapped his paws together. "OK! Now for the next memory!"

To be continued...


	3. Acquaintances

For this chapter I decided to add a little bit to where Timon meets Rafiki and then when Timon and Pumbaa met. It seemed about as good a place as any to put the rest of "That's All I Need" in there. I listened to the soundtrack before I watched the movie, and I was waiting for the rest of the song to play somewhere in the movie as a reprise. But it ended up playing during the end credits. I thought that shouldn't be allowed, so I wrote this chapter. By the time I finish this chapter I may have Timon sing the chorus's parts. Hope you like. Oh, and from here on out, I'm basically just drawing names out of a hat to choose who shares a memory, so the memories will be out of order. Anyway, read on! UPDATE: Removed _That's All I Need Reprise_ lyrics. 

Chapter 3:

Uncle Max went around with the straws again to see who would share the next memory. The winner this time was Pumbaa.

"Oh, boy! I get to share a memory now!" Pumbaa cheered as he looked at the long straw.

"Finally, something new. Finally, we're going to learn something new about Pumbaa," Timon said to himself.

Pumbaa was mumbling to himself about what memory he would like to share. "Let's see... no, not that one... uh, oooh! No, no, no... hmm..."

"Is it so hard to pick a memory, Pumbaa?" Ma asked.

"Well, not a lot of interesting stuff happened in my life before I met Timon."

"Why not tell us about that tragic event then?" Timon, dying to know how that happened, asked.

Pumbaa frowned, "Timon, is that _all_ you're thinking about right now?"

"Honestly? Yes."

"Hmph. Well, you're not going to hear it yet. I'm going along with the theme of happy memories at the moment."

Timon furrowed his brow. "You call embarrassing myself while learning scurry-sniff-flinch a _happy_ memory?"

"I didn't think it was so bad..."

"That's because it didn't happen to you," Timon turned around and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Pumbaa grimaced, and then he perked up. "Ooo, ooo, I know of a happy memory! One where you're not embarrassed!"

"Oh? And what is that? Where I dress in drag and do the hula to distract the hyenas?"

Pumbaa furrowed his brow. "What are _you_ complaining about? _I_ had the apple in my mouth."

Zuri had a paw to her mouth, giggling. "Oh, the things I wish I could've seen..."

"Oy..." Timon said, blushing.

Pumbaa also blushed, and then he cleared his throat. "Actually, the memory I was referring to was the night we first met."

"Ooo, I haven't heard that one yet," Ma said as she sat next to Zuri and her grandchildren.

"Me, neither," Zuri said.

Timon put a paw to his chin, thinking. "Well... I guess that memory isn't too bad..." He then turned around to face Pumbaa. "Unless you were there when you watched me do that song and dance number, too."

Pumbaa cowered back a little bit. "Well, I might've heard a little bit of it..."

Timon smiled and then walked back over to Pumbaa. "Then you'd better let _me_ tell that part."

"Really?"

"You bet!" Timon leaned his weight on Pumbaa's tusk. "You do a lousy job describing song and dance numbers, especially when you didn't hear it all. You missed all the good stuff."

"You had another song after you left the colony? And at night? That's a sure-fire way of attracting predators!" Uncle Max said.

"Yeah, but it attracted Pumbaa, my future bestest best buddy, too." Timon then cleared his throat. "Well, I guess Pumbaa and I will be sharing this memory. I had just run into a magic blue-faced monkey--"

"Rafiki," Pumbaa interrupted.

"Right. Rafiki. Anyway, he told me about Hakuna Matata and how to find it..."

_4 years ago..._

"To find it, you must look _beyond_ what you see," Rafiki said, who appeared deep in meditation.

"What the heck is _that_ suppose to mean?" Timon asked.

Rafiki suddenly appeared behind Timon, pressing his finger against the back of Timon's head. Timon turned around quickly, and then the finger was instead pressed against his nose. "It means, look beyond what you see."

Timon turned to face the direction the baboon had gestured to. "Beyond what I see. Heh. Get a load of the monkey, getting all existential on me." He decided to take this seriously, because although Rafiki seemed strange, he also seemed awfully wise. He began to look beyond what he saw, until his eyes settled on Pride Rock. "Oh, wait a second! It's coming to me! It's either that slug I ate or I'm having an epiphany! I'm going to the big, pointy rock!" He turned to Rafiki... "Right?" ... Only to find he was no longer there. He scratched his head, wondering, "Who was that strange monkey?" He quickly shrugged it off. "Oh well. Dream home, here I come!" He then marched off.

Rafiki was back up in his tree as he watched Timon walk off. He laughed a bit, and then he spied a warthog wondering by his tree. The warthog sighed and sat at the base of the tree. Rafiki dropped down by the warthog, who barely noticed his entrance. Rafiki grimaced slightly and smacked him on the head with his stick.

"Ow! Hey, that wasn't very nice!" the warthog, Pumbaa, said as he rubbed his head.

"It's not very nice to sit next to Rafiki's tree when you do not ask either," Rafiki said, now leaning his weight against his stick.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Could you tell Mr. Rafiki I'm very sorry? I'll be moving off his property soon. I just need a little rest." Pumbaa sighed again, looking terribly pitiful.

"Sakes alive, boy. What is the matter?"

"I'm lonely. No one wants to be around me because of my sensitive digestive track."

"Sensitive digestive track?" Pumbaa motion Rafiki down and then whispered in his ear. Rafiki stood up straight. "Oooh, I see. Hmm. That is a problem."

"So most animals give me a pretty wide berth. I know male warthogs are suppose to be loners, but..." Pumbaa suddenly started wailing. "All I really want is friends!"

Rafiki pat Pumbaa on the head. "Tut, tut, tut, my smelly friend. There is hope, and don't ask me how I know."

"Why not?" Pumbaa sniffled. He suddenly perked up. "You mean _you'll_ be my friend?"

"Rafiki-man does not have time for friends, I'm afraid."

"Oh. Well, what about you?"

Rafiki grimaced slightly. "You are very slow, aren't you?"

"No, I'm actually quite quick on my feet. All warthogs are."

"... Right. But if you seek friendship, I did see someone wonder by here a few minutes ago, all alone. Something tells me he is looking for friends as well."

"Really? Who? Another warthog?"

"A meerkat, actually."

Pumbaa wrinkled his eyebrows. "A meerkat? You mean those digging animals near the bottom of the food chain?"

"The very same."

"Gee, I don't know, Mr. Baboon. A meerkat and a warthog? That just doesn't sound like a good match."

"Maybe not, but you are not a typical warthog, and I sense this meerkat is not your typical meerkat. You know meerkats usually stick with their own kind, yes?"

"Yes," Pumbaa nodded.

"No other meerkats near here."

"Gee... do you think he's lost?"

"Maybe... why not go find him? Then he'll be found."

"Good idea. Thanks, Mr. Baboon!" Pumbaa started to run off in the direction Timon went.

"But do not tell him I sent you to him!" Rafiki called after Pumbaa.

"Got it!"

Rafiki watched Pumbaa run off, and then shook his head. "Rafiki needs to put a sign up. 'No visitors after moon up.' That's what he should do." He then climbed back up into his tree.

By this time Timon was getting hungry. He stopped to look under a rock and snatched the few grubs lying underneath. He packed them into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. He then licked his fingers. "I guess that'll hold me until I can reach the big, pointy rock." He looked out towards Pride Rock. "I can't believe it's really gonna happen. Dad, I'm finally gonna find the perfect home." He found a larger rock to climb on top of to see Pride Rock better.Suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, he began to sing in a gospel melody to the song he sang earlier. He jumped off the rock and started to march forward again. __

Pumbaa was walking in the direction Rafiki motioned, and then he heard someone singing. "What's that?" He trotted ahead, but stopped and ducked down below the tall grass when he saw a meerkat singing to himself. "That must be the meerkat that baboon mentioned." He watched the meerkat continue to sing for another minute when he finished. Pumbaa blinked a moment as he watched the meerkat finish his song and march forward into a patch of grass. "Wow... he really likes to sing and dance... in the middle of the savanna at night... that's not a good thing. He could draw attention to himself and then attract a predator. Little guy like him shouldn't be out here all alone." He nodded to himself. "Other than that, I think I like him. Yup!" He padded off in the direction Timon went. He watched Timon, not noticing he stepped on a twig. He ducked behind some thicker grass when he saw the meerkat face the direction he heard sound come from.

Timon saw the grass sway, but felt no wind. He nervously backed up onto a rock, looking around. "Ah... oh... hello? Strange, but wise monkey?" He jumped when a bird cawed, and a flock of birds flew overhead. Timon began to pant, expecting there's a predator nearby, stalking him.

Pumbaa had stumbled upon a group of birds, startling them, and sending them flapping into the air and over Timon. The warthog mumbled his apologies, and then looked towards Timon, whose back was facing him. Pumbaa was so nervous, thinking after all this time, he may have finally found a friend. He tried to speak, but instead of a greeting he let out an odd grunt.

Timon jumped around to face the sound of the grunt, now afraid. "Uh..." Pumbaa couldn't find the strength to actually speak, so he began to trot towards him. Timon could only see the shape of something rushing towards him, so he jumped off the rock and blindly ran forward. Pumbaa tried to call him to stop, but only released another strange grunt. Timon only looked back briefly, and then continued running. Pumbaa finally decided to get in front of him, so he went around Timon and ended up meeting him in a little clearing. Pumbaa released a snort, scaring Timon out of his skin. "Aaaaaah!"

That scared Pumbaa, who also screamed. "Aaaaah!"

The two screamed back and forth for a round or two, until Timon finally stopped, dropped to his knees, and clasped his paws together in a pleading manner. "Just eat me now, and please make it fast. I've got a low threshold for pain!"

Pumbaa blinked, and then found his normal voice to reassure Timon, "Easy, easy there, little guy. I'm not gonna eat you."

"What? You're not?" Timon got up and stared at the warthog, now looking more annoyed than he was scared. "Then why were you stalking me?"

"Well, gee, I saw you go by and figured a little fella like you shouldn't be out here all alone."

"Hey, what about _you? You're_ all alone." Timon suddenly looked around, nervously. "You _are_ all alone, aren't you?"

Pumbaa sadly nodded. "Yeah. Most animals give me a pretty wide berth."

"... They do? Even the hungry ones?"

As Pumbaa talked Timon examined Pumbaa's front hoof, playing with it like a pair of scissors. "Yeah, I drive almost everyone away. People see me coming and they run for cover. They can't get out of the way fast enough."

"You don't say, you don't say. Must be the gleam on those vicious tusks, huh? Strikes fear into their hearts."

"Actually, they say I wreck their appetites."

Timon suddenly rubbed his paws together in a scheming manner. "Wow. It's like you have this--this... special power."

Pumbaa nervously backed away from him. "Special power?" He looked back at his rear. "Well, it's pretty powerful all right."

"Perfect! You're hired!"

"Great! ... Uh, for what?"

Timon motioned Pumbaa towards Pride Rock. "To get me to a little worry-free haven out by that big, pointy rock."

Pumbaa seemed even more nervous, so he wanted to confirm what Timon was thinking. "And... you want me to come _with_ you?"

"Ha ha! Do you see any other big, lovable chunk of warthog here, who also happens to have razor-sharp tusks and the ability to repel predators?" Timon flashed a big, sparkling smile to the warthog and batted his eyes.

Pumbaa smiled, "I'm your pig."

Timon climbed onto Pumbaa's snout. "You and me, I can tell we see eye to eye."

Pumbaa smiled and asked hopefully, "You mean... like friends?"

"Whoa, easy there, big fella. I'd say more like..." Timon jumped off Pumbaa's snout and made quotes with his fingers, "Acquaintances."

"Oh." Pumbaa was a bit disappointed, but then he said in a brightened tone, "Well, it's a start."

Timon offered his paw. "Put 'er there, acquaintance." Pumbaa gave him his hoof, and shook his paw. "I'm Timon."

"Pumbaa!"

"No, really." He paused a moment to see Pumbaa smiling at him. "All righty then. Let's hit the road!"

"You got it... _acquaintance_." Pumbaa was happy to actually have someone be with him, even if it was only temporary. He trotted after Timon, and then walked beside him.

"So... clear up one thing for me. If you weren't going to eat me, what kind of a wacky wild pig are you?"

"I'm an insectivore."

Timon smiled. "Oh ho! A bug eater! Well, me too. I just never had a name for it. I'm kinda partical to the crawly critters myself. How about you, big boy?"

"I prefer the ones with wings."

"Pumbaa... this could be the start of a beautiful... acquaintanceship."

_To be continued..._


	4. My First Boyfriend

Hey, I'm back from Wisconsin! Had my future sister-in-law's bridal shower and bachellorette party. Man, those girls are loud drunks. Anyway, once again I put a battle in here, but cut to the end. I'm very bad at making action shots without my muse. Don't see her online as much, but I've managed to survive. Anyway, go ahead and read!  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
_Present..._  
  
Timon received a few stares from his family after sharing the last memory. He blinked and shrugged, "What are you looking at me like that for?"  
  
"You were using Pumbaa to get you to safety. I thought I taught you better than that," Ma said, folding her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"He _wanted_ to come with me! Rafiki sent him after me anyway, right?" Timon blew some air out of his mouth. "I let him stay around, didn't I?"  
  
"Yeah, you wanted me to stay around to be your bodyguard," Pumbaa snorted. "I had to put on a guilt trip to let you keep me around after we found that spot by the water hole."  
  
Timon growled and pulled Pumbaa down to his level. "For your information, I didn't let you stay because of the guilt trip! I _wanted_ you to stay!"  
  
"To be your bodyguard."  
  
"To be my friend." Pumbaa's expression softened, and Timon let out a sigh.  
  
"That's right. Poor thing didn't have a friend in the world. His closest companion was me," Ma said, nodding.  
  
"No one? What about Uncle Max, or Pete?" Zuri asked.  
  
"Timon was a constant screw-up. He delayed the tunnel construction constantly. He didn't know a tunnel from a hole in the ground. He even flunked the history of dirt!" Uncle Max said.  
  
"See what I mean?" Timon mumbled to Pumbaa.  
  
"Well, what about Pete?" Pumbaa asked. "I mean, he seemed to like you, at least when Buzz was alive."  
  
"He liked me, but not the same way. See, Dad was probably his best friend, and when he thought I was in the tunnel when Dad went outside to fight the hyenas, that I was the cause of his death..." Timon shook his head sadly. "It was just another reason the colony didn't like me that well."   
  
"Gee... I'm sorry, Timon."  
  
Timon patted Pumbaa on the snout. "And I'm sorry I used you in the beginning. But that's all in the past now, right? Let's share another memory!"  
  
"Good idea," Uncle Max said as he collected the straws. The group drew the straws again. This time, Zuri won.   
  
"Guess it's my turn. Hmm..." Zuri put a paw to her chin, thinking. "Well, it doesn't have anything to do with you guys, but thinking about friends reminds me of one close friend I had in my colony."  
  
"Old friend? You're not friends anymore?" Timon asked.  
  
"Well, he left about two years ago. I haven't seen him since. But I do think about him now and again... In fact, you remind me of him, Timon. Guess that's one of the reasons I fell for you."  
  
"You mean you and he...?" Timon made some motions with his paws.  
  
"We were boyfriend and girlfriend."  
  
"Oh, to think, if he was still here, I might never have had a chance with you!" Timon fell onto his back, being dramatic. "I'm the second boyfriend!"  
  
"Oh, stop it. He left the colony, and you have me now. You're the first husband, and hopefully the last. So, Hakuna Matata."  
  
"Why did he leave?" Pumbaa asked.  
  
"I'll tell you..."  
  
_2 years ago...  
_  
"Papa, _come on!_ If you're going to pick my fiancé, could you at least pick someone I _like?"_ Zuri asked her father Shomari as they walked through the tunnels near sunset.  
  
"Most of the meerkats you like aren't worthy or strong enough," Shomari replied, nodding to a few meerkats passing by.  
  
"Most of the meerkats in this colony aren't worthy or strong enough, period." Zuri sighed. "You picked Sudi's girlfriend to be his fiancé."  
  
"She's suitable for bearing pups."  
  
Zuri put her paws on her hips, furrowing her brow. "Papa, that almost sounds sexist."  
  
"Say what you want. It's not going to help me decide your fiancé. Right now, I'm leaning towards Makali."  
  
"Ugh, Makali? He's so... _serious._ Couldn't you lean a little more towards Sly?"  
  
"Sly?" Shomari shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what you see in that boy."  
  
"Well, unlike Makali, he looks at a woman's personality, not looks, including his own. And he actually listens to what I have to say. He's kind of cute, too."  
  
"He lacks the muscles though."  
  
Zuri's shoulder sunk and stopped walking. "Strength isn't everything."  
  
Shomari continued to walk ahead of her. "It is if you want to survive out here."   
  
Zuri sighed, and then she felt someone stop at her side. She looked to a male meerkat with dark hair, light green eyes, four brown stripes on his back, and fur color that was a shade or two darker than hers. "Hey, babe. Why the long face?"  
  
Zuri sighed again. "Papa still won't let me pick my fiancé."  
  
The meerkat pouted his lips a moment. "Just to satisfy my meerkat curiosity, did you happen to mention me as a potential future son-in-law?"  
  
Zuri grinned and leaned her weight against him. "Of course, Sly."  
  
"Didn't work though, right?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Sly sighed and shook his head. "Wish we still had the competition. Then we'd at least be together if I made it up the ladder far enough."  
  
"Sly, we didn't have feelings for each other when we were a year old. We probably would've gotten different mates."  
  
"Yeah, that's true." Sly then stood up straight and puffed his chest out. "Well, if you can't get your father's approval by talking to him, then I guess I'm gonna have to prove my worthiness to him."  
  
"Sly, you're not going to do something reckless, are you?"  
  
"Who, me?" Sly asked innocently. Zuri cocked an eyebrow at him. Sly nervously chuckled. "Oh, relax, Zuri. I'm just going to ask him something."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Simply, 'what do I have to do to prove my worthiness?' Then I'll do it."  
  
"What if he asks you to kick a hyena in the face?"  
  
Sly paused for a moment. "Well... he wouldn't do that, would he? I mean, he wants you to have a mate that _isn't_ suicidal, right?" He straightened himself out. "Right. I'm gonna go ask him then." He walked in the direction Shomari went, with Zuri following.  
  
...  
  
"You want to prove your worthiness to me so you can become my daughter's fiancé?" Shomari asked when Sly and Zuri met up with him outside.  
  
"Is there a problem with that?" Sly asked, nervously twiddling his fingers together.  
  
"Well, Sly, the only thing I could possibly think of at the moment is for you to fight with Makali, the meerkat I currently have in mind for Zuri."  
  
"Ugh..." Zuri groaned softly.  
  
"No problem! If I win, I get your daughter's paw, right?"  
  
"Right. But if you lose..."  
  
"I know, I know, I never talk to your daughter again. I'll risk it," Sly waved him off.  
  
"That's not exactly what I was about to say." Shomari cleared his throat. "If you lose, you're to leave this colony. Immediately and permanently."  
  
Zuri gasped. "Papa! That's way too extreme!"  
  
"No, no, it's all right, Zuri. If I can't prove I'm strong enough, then why should I stay here where I'm not appreciated?" Sly said, holding a paw out to Zuri.  
  
"Exactly. So, do we have an agreement?" Shomari asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
_Present..._  
  
"Uh... lemme take a wild guess here..." Pumbaa interrupted the memory. "I'm guessing Sly lost the fight with Makali and he was banished from the colony, right?"  
  
"That's right," Zuri nodded.  
  
Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "Aww, Pumbaa!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Timon dragged a paw over his face and looked over at Pumbaa. "I didn't want to hear the ending before she even started the fight scene."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Uh, can I continue?" Zuri asked, a little annoyed.  
  
"Sure, go ahead."  
  
_2 years ago..._  
  
Makali, his paw at Sly's throat, pinned down Sly to the ground. The grip tightened around Sly's neck. Sly clenched his teeth and tried to escape, but to no avail.  
  
"Makali, there's no need to kill him. Let him up," Shomari said. Makali looked over at Shomari, then released his grip on Sly's neck, who inhaled deeply and coughed. Makali walked over to Shomari as Sly sat up and put a paw to his neck, and coughed again. "I'm sorry, Sly, but I'm afraid you must now pay the price."  
  
"I only regret I couldn't prove myself to you," Sly said in a rough voice, and then he cleared his throat.  
  
"You did give it your best effort, so for that I'll let you spend a few minutes alone with Zuri. And then I want you gone." Shomari turned and walked back towards the tunnels, Makali following.  
  
Zuri walked over to Sly, and helped him up. "I guess this is it, huh?"  
  
Sly sighed and turned his eyes away from her. "I guess so. I'm sorry I couldn't fight better."  
  
"I'm sorry my father is stubborn. Sly... I want to come with you."  
  
"Leave your family behind? Zuri..." Sly took Zuri's paws into his own and looked at her. "I can't let you do that. You don't belong out there. Wondering the grasslands as a rogue... I can't see you doing that, let alone for someone like me."  
  
"But I _want_ to be with you."  
  
"I'm not worth it. You're a beautiful meerkat and you deserve better. It may hurt for a while, but... eventually you'll forget about me and learn to love Makali or whoever your father sets you up with."  
  
"I could never forget someone like you. Ever."  
  
Sly sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I'll remember you, too."   
  
Zuri sniffled and returned the hug, rubbing her face against his chest. They slowly pulled away, and Zuri wiped her eyes. She took his paws back into her own. "Try to take care of yourself, OK? I won't forgive you if you don't."  
  
Sly half-chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Besides, maybe this is a good thing. I might end up finding where I really belong."   
  
"Maybe..."  
  
He then slowly released her paws. "Good-bye, Zuri."  
  
"Good-bye, Sly." Sly gave her a sad smile, turned, and walked away. Zuri watched him until he was a mere dot against the setting sun.  
  
_Present..._  
  
"... And that was the last time I saw him," Zuri finished.  
  
Pumbaa sniffled, "That's so sad, Zuri."  
  
"I can't believe Shomari's parenting skills," Ma said, rubbing her forehead.  
  
"But hey, didn't turn out _all_ bad, right? If Sly was still with the colony, he'd be with Zuri instead of me," Timon said.  
  
"No, I'd be with Makali if I didn't meet you," Zuri said, pulling Kito and Shani over to her.  
  
"Oh, right."   
  
"It's really weird... when I first saw you, Timon, I almost thought you were Sly. You looked a lot like him from a distance." Zuri half-laughed and shook her head. "But then when I went over to see you, I realized the hair and eyes were the wrong color and you have more stripes."  
  
"I'm sorry I let your hopes up."  
  
"But you still looked a bit like him--"  
  
"Honestly, all you meerkats look the same to me," Pumbaa said.  
  
"Yeah, and all you warthogs look the same to us," Uncle Max said.  
  
"Point taken."  
  
"Anyway, Timon also reminded me of him. I guess that's why I fell for him," Zuri continued.  
  
"So I'm basically a substitute Sly?" Timon asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.  
  
"Oh, there are other reasons I fell for you, ones that set you apart from Sly. Would you just drop it?"  
  
"I guess..." Timon then perked up and clapped his paws together. "OK, Uncle Max, let's go around with the straws and get to the next memory!" As Uncle Max went around collecting the straws, Ma put a paw to her chin, looking deep in thought.  
  
_To be continued..._


	5. Timon's Competition

Yay, you're back! Not much to say in this chapter... just another fight put in and I skip over it. Nothing big. Read on! UPDATE: Removed _Digga Tunnah_ lyrics. 

Chapter 5:

The drawing of straws resumed again. In this round, Ma won.

"Oh, boy! A memory from Mrs. Ma!" Pumbaa cheered.

"I'm not sure which memory to share. I've told most of the good memories already," Ma said, tapping the straw on her chin.

"There must be _something_ you haven't told us!" Pumbaa whined a bit. He suddenly perked up. "Ooo, how about Timon's competition for mating rights? I never did get to hear that one."

"Oh, _no!_ Not the competition! I don't want Zuri to hear what a loser I was!" Timon said as he pulled on his ears.

"You're still a loser to me," Uncle Max said.

Timon released his ears and put a paw to his heart, acting dramatic. "Such a hurtful thing, and from my own uncle!"

"Anything I hear about your past won't change how I feel about you now, Timon. And I really want to know what you were like as a young adult," Zuri said, pulling Timon back down next to her.

Timon blew some air out of his mouth. "Oh, all right... but I have the right to get up and walk away if I get in a mood from hearing this memory." He put an arm around Zuri's shoulder as he waited for his mother to begin telling the memory.

"Fine. And I have a right to follow you afterwards," Zuri giggled as she nuzzled up next to Timon.

Timon half-smirked. "Fair enough."

Ma cleared her throat. "I'll start the morning before the competition. We were digging tunnels, as usual..."

"And Timon was late getting to work, as usual," Uncle Max butted in.

_5 years ago...  
_  
A group of meerkats was busily adding onto the tunnel system as Timon, a year old, wondered in. They were all busy singing their digging song to notice Timon walking in._  
_  
"About time, Timon!" Pete said to Timon as he walked by.

"Heh, sorry, Pete. Guess I overslept," Timon meekly said.

"Again," Pete said under his breath with a roll of his eyes. "Just try not to break anything today, OK, pup?"

Timon stopped and looked back at Pete with a furrowed brow. "Pete, I'm a year old now. That's not considered to be a pup anymore."

"Eh, I know, but it's hard to think of you as an adult."

"Yeah? Well, after tonight, you'll _all_ be thinking of me as an adult," Timon said, puffing his chest out a bit.

"Ah, that's right. It's the first-year competition for mating rights. You're not going to try out, are you?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Well, Timon, let's face it. You're not exactly the spitting image of your father."

"Sure I am. Ma says I grow to look more like him everyday."

"Well, I meant in the muscles department." Pete took hold of one of Timon's arms and felt his muscles. "You wouldn't last two minutes in a fight."

Timon yanked his arm away from Pete. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Would you let me get to work already? I'd like to warm-up a little bit with digging before the competition."

Pete watched Timon walk away and then shook his head. "Maybe now that he's an adult, his tunnel digging skills will improve?"

The meerkatswent to the next verse, which sang about Fearless Buzz, Timon's father. Suddenly the wall next to them crumbled and crumbled down on the digging meerkats. The meerkats popped out of the dirt one by one, grumbling and dusting the dirt out of their fur.

"Let me take a wild guess..." Pete said softly through clenched teeth.

**_"TI-MON!"_** the group of meerkats screamed.

Timon finally emerged from the dirt, receiving glares from each of the meerkats. He nervously chuckled as he started to dust the dirt out of his fur. "I, uh... I guess I wasn't suppose to remove this stone, huh?" He held up a stone to the group.

"Idiot! That's the keystone!" a meerkat growled.

"Keystone?" Timon looked it over a bit, blinking. "Doesn't look like a key to me."

"Timon..." Pete softly growled as he pulled himself up from the dirt and approached Timon. He looked like he wanted to say something, and that including talking with his balled-up paws, but instead he sighed and helped Timon up out of the dirt. "Just go get ready for the competition outside, OK?"

Timon sighed and nodded. "All right, Pete." He tossed the keystone aside as he walked past the other meerkats, who mumbled under their breath and went to work on repairing the tunnel.

"It never fails. Every time he's on the digging crew and we sing the Fearless Buzz verse, he breaks something!" a meerkat groaned.

"Maybe we should consider taking it out," Pete said, rubbing his forehead. "I mean, after all, how would _you_ feel if you had to be reminded that your father was killed by hyenas?"

"Yeah... We'll run it by Max and Panya later," another meerkat said.

Timon was still dusting himself off when he came outside. He knocked some dirt out of his ears, and then he noticed some of the first-year female meerkats collecting flowers. He grinned and snatched a bug from the air. He squished it between his paws to make hair gel and rubbed it over his hair, plastering it down. He dusted his arms off as he walked over towards them. "Time to try and score points, Timmy boy."

"Uh-oh. Don't look now, ladies. Tunnel klutz at 10 o'clock," a female mumbled to the rest. The other females rolled their eyes and sighed, then smiled pleasantly as Timon approached them.

"Good morning, ladies," Timon said, trying to be a suave as he can be. "You're looking well-groomed today."

"Oh, Timon, did you break the tunnel again?" a female asked, flicking some dirt off Timon's shoulder.

Timon smiled and leaned over to her. "You're very observant, Winda, and I like that in a woman. What would you say if I picked you for my wife after the competition tonight?"

"Nothing. I can't talk and gag at the same time," Winda said as she picked up her flowers and walked away. A few females giggled as a cowlick suddenly sprung up from Timon's plastered-down hair.

"Heh-heh... yeah, good one," Timon said, smoothing his hair down again. He then turned to another. "Penda, how about you? Would you want to spend the rest of your life with yours truly?"

"Sorry, Timon, but I can't marry you for medical reasons," Penda said as she started to walk away.

"Medical reasons?"

"You make me _sick!"_ The females laughed as Penda walked away.

"Ooo... strike two," Timon winced softly. He turned to the rest of the females, furrowing his brow. "OK, lemme just ask you girls a simple question."

"Shoot," a female said.

"What do the rest of the males in this colony have that _I_ don't have?"

"You want it alphabetically?"

"Uh... no, not really."

"Face it, Timon. You think you're hot stuff, but your sizzle has fizzled," a second said as she walked away with her flowers.

"Aww, I just need a day out in the sun! It can't be more than a _bazillion_ degrees today!" Timon protested as the other females started to walk away from him.

"That line's so lame it needs crutches!" a female said. The other females laughed as they dropped into the tunnels.

"Oh, yeah? Well, to marry a girl like any of you, a guy would have to be double D--_desperate_ and _deranged!"_ Timon shouted after the girls. Timon then sighed and lowered his eyes. "So would the girl to wanna marry me."

"I don't think so, Timon," Timon heard a voice say. He turned to see his mother walk over to him. "I think you're just trying too hard to get a girl's attention."

"Well, what am I suppose to do, Ma? They can't look past the fact that I'm a tunnel klutz and get to know the real me." Ma looked at him for a moment, and then chuckled. "What?"

"I was just thinking of when you were younger... when you didn't like girls."

"Oh, Ma, come on... it's a natural thing for young boys and girls not to like each other."

"I asked you to play with them and you'd say they have cooties."

Timon half-chuckled. "Yeah... Now I _want_ to 'play' with them, and they're avoiding me like a hyena." He looked to his mother with a concerned expression. "What if I don't make it up the ladder far enough to father pups?"

"What will happen will happen. So long as you try your best, I'll be proud of you."

Timon put his paws on his hair to comb it back normally. "But _I_ won't be proud of myself. I feel like I'd be letting Dad down. He made it to the top three without a hitch." He looked away from his mother. "How am I suppose to make it to the top three when I've yet to win a single play fight?"

"Your father made it to the top three because no one could ever beat him. I could never beat him in a play fight, neither could the other two of the top three." She softly sighed and turned Timon's face to meet hers. "If you don't make it to the top three, it won't be the end of the world. So you won't be giving me any grandchildren. So what?"

"What's the point of having a wife if you can't--? Oh, wait... a girl's gotta _like_ me before I can marry her."

Ma softly sighed again and put a paw on Timon's cheek. "You've grown into such a handsome boy. I can't imagine a girl not wanting to marry you. Maybe if you stopped trying to be someone you're not, you might get more girls than you think."

"You really think so?"

"Well, that's how your father picked me. I wasn't trying to grab his attention by being someone I wasn't. He loved me for who I was."

Timon nodded, "Maybe you're right." He straightened himself up and started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna get ready for tonight. Get ready for a daughter-in-law, Ma! I'm gonna win!"

Present...

_"Please_, Ma, don't go into detail about the competition!" Timon said as he walked over to his mother on his knees. He clasped his paws over hers. "If you love me at all, _please_ don't tell them how poorly I did!"

"Why, was it _that_ bad?" Pumbaa asked.

Timon glared over at Pumbaa. "Did I have a wife when I left the colony?"

"Uh... no."

"Then it was _that_ bad." Timon got up and walked away.

"Going to sulk?" Zuri asked.

"I have the right, don't I?" Timon mumbled as he disappeared.

Zuri watched after him, and then she handed her two pups to Ma. "Here, watch Kito and Shani for a while, Mom. I told him earlier I had the right to follow him if he left." She then walked after Timon.

"Well, Panya, if you're not going to tell the warthog about Timon losing, then I will," Uncle Max said as he stepped up.

"Max, Pumbaa isn't that interested in knowing. Timon lost, that's all," Ma said as she set the two pups beside her.

"But how did he take losing?" Pumbaa asked.

"Well... since Timon isn't here, I guess I could tell you. He didn't take it too well, though he put up a brave front in front of the colony."

5 years ago...

A few meerkats cheered for the winning meerkat who had just pinned another to the ground for 10 seconds. The winner offered a paw to the loser, but instead Timon got up on his own, dusting his fur off.

"Sorry I had to beat you, Timon," the winner said.

Timon held a paw up. "Heh. Oh, no, don't worry about it. I'm just sorry I didn't put up more of a challenge for you."

"All right, those with the blue pebbles, you're next!" Uncle Max announced as the winner and Timon stepped out of the center of the tunnel.

Timon walked past his mother, who went over to him. "Timon, did he hurt you?"

"Nah, just my pride."

"Aww, sweetie..."

Timon smiled. "Oh, don't worry about it, Ma. Someone had to lose, right? But you know, I think I'll pass on the wife thing for a while. I like being a bachelor. I don't need any women to tie _me_ down, no siree!" He turned to the other males. "I'm leaving the women all to you, guys! Enjoy!"

A few males cheered as Timon walked out of the central meeting tunnel. Then they were silenced as the next contestants went into the center of the tunnel to fight. As he rounded the corner, Timon leaned against the wall and let his fake smile fade. He sighed and continued to walk down the tunnel. He eventually walked outside and over to his father's grave. He knelt to it and sighed.

"Well, Dad, I messed up again. I don't _mean_ to let you down all the time. I guess maybe I'm trying too hard, like Ma says. I'm just sorry I couldn't make it as far as you did in the competition. I mean, to get to the top three means you're suppose to father strong pups." Timon sighed and lowered his eyes. "And you ended up with a runt like me."

Ma was watching him from a distance. She didn't go over though. She thought she'd leave Timon alone, because that's what he wanted... to be alone with his father.

Present...

"Aww, poor Timon," Pumbaa said.

"Yeah. He believed he was letting Buzz down. I always told him if he tried his best he'd be proud of him. But I guess that wasn't enough," Ma said, shaking her head.

"Well, that memory's done and gone. Time for the next round!" Uncle Max said as he held out the five straws.

"We're not going to share anymore memories until Timon and Zuri come back," Ma said, pushing the paw with the straws away.

"But the memories are suppose to help me with my nerves about Jina's condition _and_ becoming a father. What am I suppose to do until they get back?" Pumbaa whined.

"You could go back to pacing."

"OK." Pumbaa got up and started pacing.

To be continued...


	6. What I Do For Fun

Well, thanks to Disney Channel playing _Tarzan_ twice Saturday (four times if you've got satellite with Eastern and Western), "Strangers Like Me" gave me the idea to write this chapter. Which is a good thing, because before I watched it I was just going to use Chapter 3 from Someone Like You to fill up a majority of this chapter. _Bo-ring!  
_  
Chapter 6:  
  
Zuri pushed some brush aside while looking for Timon. She finally found him, tossing some pebbles into the Jacuzzi, which lacked bubbles at the moment.  
  
"Got room for one more?"  
  
Timon looked back at her, and then patted the piece of ground next to him. "Come. Sit. Watch me sulk."  
  
Zuri softly chuckled as she sat down next to him. "Why sulk about what happened in the past? If you had picked one of those girls, you wouldn't have had a chance with me. And I'd be married to Makali." She shuddered. She then leaned against him. "And I'm better than most of those girls on your side of the colony, right?"  
  
Timon smiled. "Of course. You're not as picky as them." He puffed his chest out a bit. "And you've got good tastes."  
  
Zuri chuckled and lightly slapped Timon's shoulder. "You're so humble."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Well, unlike those girls, I saw past the tunnel klutz in you. You weren't acting like someone you weren't. You were the first... well, _second_ person to make me laugh in a long time."   
  
Timon frowned slightly. "I'm guessing Sly was the first?"  
  
"I thought I told you to forget about Sly." She grinned. "Am I detecting a hint of _jealousy_, Great Timon?"  
  
Timon looked offended. "Me, jealous of your old boyfriend? Ha! Sly couldn't beat Makali in a fight to stay in the colony. I took down him down in one swing!" Timon punched the air. "Wham-o! Sucker-punch!" He laughed.  
  
"Oh... so _that's_ why his jaw was swollen that night. But why did you do that?"  
  
Timon folded his arms in front of his chest. "For one thing, he was standing in front of the exit, preventing me from going outside to rescue you from Mataka the hyena. Second, he told me not to be an idiot like my father."  
  
"Hmm. Awful sensitive, aren't you?"  
  
"Well, no one calls my father an idiot except my mother... and maybe Uncle Max."  
  
"And... you didn't care that he called you an idiot?" Zuri asked, arching a brow.  
  
Timon sighed, "I've been called that enough times it doesn't faze me."  
  
"I get what you're saying. You had problems fitting in, being accepted. I think you were trying too hard to fit in, trying to make your father proud." Zuri suddenly shook her head. "Look, why don't we drop the subject so I can think of something that might cheer you up?"  
  
"Why? You're doing a great job so far, babe," Timon said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Zuri grimaced, and then drummed her fingers on the ground. "OK, I think I know something you might like."  
  
Timon suddenly perked up. "You're gonna tell me the secret to making your tarantula daiquiris?"  
  
Zuri laughed, "Yeah, in your dreams! No, Timon, I was thinking more of a private memory session."  
  
"Aww, Zuri, no!"  
  
"Now, now, I'm not going to remember anything that embarrasses you."  
  
"Such as...?"  
  
"Well... remember the day we moved to the oasis?"  
  
Timon grinned and wrapped an arm around Zuri's shoulders. "Heh. Oh, yeah. That was a fun day." He tossed a pebble into the Jacuzzi.  
  
_6 months ago...  
_  
Timon was up in the outer treetops, watching out towards the desert. When he saw nothing, he grunted, turned, and started pacing along the tree limb. He returned to looking out towards the desert again. Again he saw nothing. He growled, turned, and started pacing again. He finally stopped this pattern he's been doing for the past four or so hours, folded his arms in front of his chest, and tapped his foot.  
  
He let out a frustrated groan and pulled on his ears, screaming, "**_WHAT IS TAKING THEM SO LONG?!_**" He softly winced when he heard his voice echo throughout the oasis. "Whoops..."  
  
"Timon, there are other occupants in this oasis besides you that are trying to enjoy the peace!" an approaching voice called. Timon turned to see Pete swinging on a vine over to the tree limb Timon was on.  
  
"Heh-heh... sorry, Pete. I guess I'm more excited than I realized." Timon leaned out towards the desert, holding onto a vine to keep him from falling out of the tree.   
  
"You must be. You're usually asleep until brunch on normal days."   
  
"I couldn't sleep. Zuri and her colony are moving from the Pride Lands to the oasis today. I don't want to miss them."  
  
Pete tilted his head slightly, watching Timon looking out towards the desert. "You're sure they're suppose to come today?"  
  
"Pretty sure." Timon smiled as he let out a bit of a sigh, and almost looked like he went limp. "I can't wait. She is something else, Pete."  
  
Pete shook his head and grinned. "I'm happy for you, Timon. After all these years of looking, who knew you'd find the girl of your dreams in a rival meerkat colony?"  
  
Timon's happy expression suddenly faded to that of a worried one. He turned to Pete. "You're sure you guys can get along, right? I mean--"  
  
"Hakuna Matata." Pete walked over to Timon and put a paw on his shoulder. "As a personal favor to our savior, we've buried the hatchet, so the two colonies will be united into one. But uh... don't be surprised if we're a little edgy around each other for a few weeks."  
  
Timon smiled and shrugged, "Hey, once they've gotten into the Hakuna Matata lifestyle, we'll be fine." He then looked out towards the desert again. His eyes squinted when he saw movement approaching them. "I think I see them."  
  
"I'll go tell the others," Pete said as he grabbed a vine and swung away.  
  
Pumbaa appeared at the bottom of the tree Timon was in. He looked out towards the desert, and then up at Timon. "Are they here yet?" he called up to Timon.  
  
"Not sure, but I see something out there."   
  
"Mirage?"  
  
"Hope not." He squinted his eyes again, trying to make out the approaching figures. He could make one of the approaching figures out as a warthog. He smiled when they were close enough to confirm it was Jina. The meerkats walking behind her could now be seen. "They're here!"  
  
"Yay!" Pumbaa cheered.  
  
Timon leaned forward a bit more, still holding onto a vine to keep from falling. His eyes squinted, looking through the crowd of meerkats. He blinked a moment. "Where's Zuri?" He paused. "Could she be...?" He looked over at the warthog, and then grinned when he saw a certain female meerkat riding on the warthog's back. "Arriving in style, eh? I like that in a woman." He cupped the side of his mouth with his paw to amplify his voice. "Hey, Zuri! Over here!"  
  
Zuri, who was riding on Jina's back, looked up when her name was called. She looked forward, wondering where the voice came from. She looked up at the treetops and saw Timon up there. She smiled and waved, "Timon!"  
  
Timon held onto the vine and dropped down from it, landing onto Pumbaa's back. He pulled on his ears, which started the warthog running. Jina and the meerkats stopped when they saw Timon and Pumbaa approaching. Pumbaa then skid to a halt in front of them.  
  
Timon stood on top of Pumbaa's head and bowed, "Ladies and gentlekats, welcome to our humble home!"  
  
"Look at the size of your front door! You call that '_humble_'?" a meerkat asked.  
  
"You should see our winter home," Timon grinned.  
  
"You don't _have_ a winter home," Zuri said, folding her arms in front of her chest.  
  
Timon furrowed his brow at her. "Everything else I've told you is true and you didn't believe it. What makes this one so different?"  
  
"We asked Simba before we left," a meerkat said.  
  
"That traitor," Timon said in a low voice.   
  
"Well, now I know you're a typical man!" Zuri laughed and then slid off Jina's snout to the ground. Timon grinned and did the same off Pumbaa's snout and went over to her. Pumbaa and Jina smiled at each other and walked away with most of the meerkats, heading for the oasis.   
  
Shomari suddenly stepped between Timon and Zuri. "Not yet, you two. We've got to get ready for the ceremony, and then you two can do whatever."  
  
"Huh?" Timon blinked. He watched as Zuri was lead away by her mother Dalila. Zuri looked back at Timon and winked at him.  
  
"You can wait a few hours," Shomari said, patting Timon on the back.  
  
"Yeah, I guess." Something in his mind suddenly clicked. "A few hours?"   
  
"Didn't anyone tell you? The ceremony's tonight."  
  
"_Tonight?!_" He grabbed Shomari by the arms and shook him a bit. "I'm not ready for a ceremony tonight! I've been waiting all morning for you to show up and--" He quickly realized what he was doing and dropped his own arms to his side, smiling nervously. "Sorry, Dad... or would you rather be called Mr. Shomari?"  
  
"Shomari... at least until the ceremony."  
  
Timon rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... boy, it's gonna weird, calling someone 'Dad.' That hasn't been a big part of my vocabulary for a few years."  
  
Shomari patted Timon on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it, after the ceremony tonight."  
  
"Why tonight?"  
  
"You'd rather wait longer?" a meerkat standing next to Shomari asked.  
  
"Well, I haven't had time to register anywhere yet."  
  
"What do you need that you don't already have here?" Shomari asked, wrinkling his eyebrows.  
  
"Blenders."  
  
Shomari shook his head with a smirk. "Anyway, I'm getting old and growing impatient. We were suppose to have a wedding last week, but because of _you_ we held it off."  
  
Timon nervously chuckled. "I see your point."  
  
"You go get ready for tonight. We'll send someone to find you when we're ready." Timon nodded and walked towards the oasis. "Oh, and Timon?"  
  
Timon stopped and looked back at him. "Yeah?"  
  
"Just kidding. The ceremony is really later this week."   
  
On that note, Timon fell forward, surprise. "D'oh!" He got up and stared at Shomari with a furrowed brow. "Do you do that for _all_ your future son-in-laws or just me?"  
  
"Well, you are my first son-in-law, so both."  
  
Timon sighed, "I knew it." He got up and dusted himself off. "Well, in that case, I'll go help Zuri settle in." He then ran off towards the oasis.  
  
The meerkat that was standing next to Shomari blinked a moment. "Hard to believe he's the son of Fearless Buzz. Are you sure you want to let him into the family, Dad?"  
  
"He makes Zuri happy and has proven himself worthy. I don't see a reason for him not to be in this family."  
  
"Really. From what I've heard, I'd rather have a severe case of fleas than have _him_ in the family."  
  
"Spite what you think, Sudi. Timon is a good one. He saved your sister from hyenas and now he brings us to this paradise. If you can't accept him, go back to the Pride Lands."  
  
The meerkat, Sudi, blew some air out of his mouth and walked alongside his father towards the oasis. "All right, I'll try to accept him... but it's gonna take me a while to get out of the digging habit."  
  
"Well, I don't expect a rose garden to bloom overnight."  
  
...  
  
Zuri was getting a drink by the stream to settle the excitement in her stomach. She was going to get married later this week, and this time she wanted it. And she can finally have a little bit of freedom. She slurped the water from her paws, and then looked at her reflection. She pawed at her hair briefly to make it look better in case Timon suddenly showed up, and then she stopped when she noticed some movement in the reflection above her. She looked up to see Timon up on a tree limb, tying a vine around his waist. She wrinkled her eyebrows and got up. "_Timon!_"  
  
That caught Timon by surprised, nearly scaring him out of his skin. "**YAH!**" He nearly fell off the limb, but he grabbed onto the vine. He exhaled and then he looked down at her as he climbed back onto the tree limb. "Zuri, what's the big idea scaring me like that?"  
  
Zuri furrowed her brow and put her paws on her hips. "Well, what's the big idea committing suicide right in front of me?"  
  
"Suicide?! What makes you think that?"  
  
"Well, you're up 100 feet in a tree and it looks like you were about to jump."  
  
"Oh, that. I just wanted to get your attention."  
  
"By jumping out of a tree and leaving your impression over half the oasis?"  
  
"I've got a vine tied around my stomach. It's what you need to survive bungee jumping."  
  
She wrinkled her nose, looking confused. "What?"  
  
"I said _'bungee jumping'_! Can't you hear me from up here?"  
  
"I can hear you just fine, but what is bungee jumping?"   
  
Timon looked down at her and grinned. "Simply this." Timon jumped from the tree limb and screamed. Zuri covered her eyes, expecting to hear a horrible splat. Instead she heard a stretching sound and Timon laughing. She peeked through her fingers and watched Timon swing from the end of the vine. She uncovered her eyes and stared at him, amazed. "The ultimate in thrill rides, baby!"  
  
"I still think it's suicidal."  
  
Timon folded his arms in front of his chest, which look quite amusing while he was just dangling there with a vine tied around his waist. "Call it what you will, but I like it. It's one of the many things I do for fun."  
  
"That's _fun?_ You jump from a tree, scream like a girl, and dangle at the end of your vine, looking like a complete lunatic."  
  
Timon furrowed his brow. "I do _not_ scream like a girl!" He blushed slightly when Zuri started laughing. He then cleared his throat, letting the blush dissolve away. "It gives you a good rush. If you give it a try, you might like it."  
  
"Well... OK. Do you have any thrill rides that aren't so... advanced?"  
  
Timon grinned again.  
  
...  
  
"Are you _sure_ this is a first level thing?" Zuri nervously asked as Timon handed her a vine.  
  
"It is compared to bungee jumping," Timon said, grabbing a nearby vine for himself. "All you do is hold onto the vine and jump. You'll fly through the air with the greatest of ease."  
  
"That's all?"  
  
"That's all." He noticed the worried expression on her face. "Are you sure you wanna go through with this?"  
  
"Well, I wanna get a taste of what you do for fun here. You know, since 'fun' is--_was_ considered a four-letter word in my colony when there were tunnels to be dug."  
  
Timon counted on his fingers. "F-U-N--" He blinked. "Just how do you spell 'fun' on your side of the colony?"  
  
Zuri shook her head. "Never mind."  
  
"You know, if you're scared--"  
  
"I'm not scared." She took a look at the ground a hundred feet below and then gulped. "I'm _petrified._ There's a difference. But I wanna do this." Timon pouted his lips a moment, released his vine and then took hold of Zuri's vine. He wrapped an arm around her and took a look down. Zuri blushed a bit. "Wh-what are you doing?"  
  
"Well, you act like you don't want to swing alone, so..."   
  
"And you would be right," Zuri said, tightening her grip on the vine.  
  
"Hakuna Matata, Zuri. I won't let anything happen to you. Don't let go." Timon took a few steps back with Zuri, and then ran and leapt from the tree limb. Zuri closed her eyes and screamed as they leapt. Timon smiled as he felt the wind rush through his fur, which caused him to yell, "Ye-_hah!_"   
  
"Timon, if we die, I'm gonna _kill_ you!"  
  
"I'll keep that in mind!" Timon lifted his feet up and pushed them against a tree to keep them from crashing into it, sending them in another direction. The sudden change in direction caused Zuri to scream again. "You know, it's getting _really_ hard to enjoy this with you screaming in my ear! Do you think you can stop?"  
  
"Do you think you can stop bumping into things?" Zuri retorted.  
  
"There's a big difference between bumping into things and pushing with your feet! If you'd open your eyes to see what's going on, you might actually start to enjoy this!" Zuri slowly opened an eye, and then she quickly closed it again. "Trust me! I'm not gonna let anything happen to you!" She opened her eyes and watched as the scenery quickly passed by.  
  
"Whoa... Jina could never run this fast!"  
  
"And you ain't seen nothing yet! Hang on!"   
  
"I _am_ hanging on!"   
  
"I meant to me!" Timon reached for a vine that was passing by and jumped over to it, holding Zuri close. She screamed again when they jumped, but this time she let out a laugh right after. "You all right? I thought I just heard you laugh instead of scream!"  
  
"OK, so I'm actually starting to enjoy this!"  
  
"I think we've had enough for now! Don't wanna overdue it the first day!" He finally let go of the vine when they were above a tree limb, landing. The two laughed for a few moments, the thrill still being with them.  
  
Zuri exhaled and looked over the oasis. "I still can't believe we're actually here." She half-laughed and looked at Timon. "How did you find this place?"  
  
"Purely by accident. Pumbaa and I were nearly squashed by a wildebeest stampede and we went over a waterfall. Next thing we know, we washed up here."  
  
Zuri arched an eyebrow. "Wildebeest stampede. Went over a waterfall."  
  
"99% of everything I've told you so far is true and you still don't believe me? Ask Pumbaa and he'll tell you!" He pulled her over to him and whispered, "And you know he tells the truth 99% of the time."  
  
Zuri giggled. "Well, you've gone through a lot of things in your life. Guess I shouldn't be questioning stampedes and waterfalls."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Zuri leaned against Timon and looked out at the oasis again. "Will everyday be this wonderful?"  
  
Timon wrapped an arm around her shoulder and looked out at the oasis. "I'm hoping it's gonna get even better."  
  
_To be continued..._


	7. Nala Junior

Chapter 7:  
  
Pumbaa got tired of pacing and laid down. "This isn't working. We're right back where we started."  
  
"Why don't we just pick another memory instead of waiting for Timon and Zuri to come back?" Uncle Max asked as he practiced drawing straws, coming up short.   
  
"And have them miss precious memories?" Ma asked as she watched her granddaughter Shani try to grab a passing beetle, missing.  
  
"Some of Timon's most embarrassing moments are _precious_ memories?" Pumbaa blinked.  
  
"They are to some people," Max grinned.  
  
Pumbaa tapped his front hoof on the ground, thinking. "Ooo, how do I ask a sensitive question like that?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Pumbaa gulped, realizing he said that out loud. "My inner monologue must be burned out."  
  
"Wouldn't surprise me. Just come out and ask what you're thinking," Ma said.  
  
"Well... since Timon and Zuri aren't back yet, and it's obvious you're not going to tell Timon about you-know-who yet--"  
  
"Who?" a voice asked.  
  
"Oh, you know, Timon's--" Pumbaa gulped and covered his mouth when he realized the voice was Timon's. Timon and Zuri walked over to the three.  
  
"Oh, welcome back, Timon," Ma said.  
  
"Thanks." Timon turned back to Pumbaa. "Who's _'you-know-who,'_ Pumbaa?"  
  
Pumbaa didn't want to tell Timon about his lost brother Titus, so Pumbaa didn't know what to answer right away. He nervously sweated and gulped, "Uh... your Binkie?"  
  
Timon blushed and then put his paws on Pumbaa's mouth, silencing him. "Not in front of the missus!"  
  
Zuri put a paw to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "What's a Binkie?"  
  
"A stuffed toy Timon had when he was a pup," Ma said.  
  
Zuri walked over to Timon and grinned. "Awww, you had a Binkie? That's so _cute_, Timon."  
  
Timon furrowed his brow at her, still blushing a bit. "Don't tell me _you_ didn't have a childhood friend? Like a talking dishrag?"  
  
Zuri growled and grabbed the front of Timon's chest fur. "Who blabbed?!" She then gulped and blushed when she realized she said that in front of people. She nervously laughed and released Timon's fur. "OK! Who's got the straws?"  
  
"About time..." Max mumbled as he went around passing straws. The winner was Timon.  
  
"Finally my turn! Whoo-hoo!" Timon cheered, and then tapped the straw on the side of his nose. "Hmm... memory, memory..."   
  
"You could tell us about that 'Binkie,'" Zuri grinned as she walked over and sat next to Ma and her pups.  
  
Timon grimaced, "Sure, if you tell us more about that dishrag. Hmm... childhood... Oh, I know! Pumbaa, remember when Simba's daughter Kiara was born?"  
  
"Yeah. I think you were worrying more than Simba," Pumbaa grinned.  
  
"That's besides the point..."  
  
_1 1/2 years ago...  
_  
It was late night, or early morning, whichever you prefer to call it. Point was, the sun had not risen yet. But even that fact didn't matter much to the occupants of Pride Rock. Nala, the lion queen, was in pain. Through this pain, the heir to the throne would arrive. Timon and Pumbaa, best friends to the king, intended to help in anyway they could before they officially started babysitting. They were lugging a few coconut shell halves with steaming water up to the cliff.   
  
Timon set the two he was holding down and waved his paws. "There's gotta be an easier way to carry these without burning our paws off," he mumbled.  
  
Pumbaa dropped the few he has carrying on his snout carefully to the ground. He rubbed his snout. "Well, look at it this way, Timon: this water will help bring the future king into the world!"  
  
Timon smiled and rubbed his paws together. "Yeah, you're right, Pumbaa. C'mon, let's see how they're doing." He was about to lift the coconuts again, but stopped when he saw Simba walk outside of the cave, who exhaled deeply. "Simba!"  
  
Simba lifted his face up to see the two, surprised. "You're back already?"  
  
"Yup! Here's the boiled water!" Pumbaa announced.  
  
Simba blinked, "How did you get boiled water?"  
  
Timon groaned slightly, "Don't ask. So help us carry it in and--"  
  
"Timon, I have a confession to make... we don't really need it."  
  
"... What?"  
  
"Your worrying was starting to get on everyone's nerves, so I asked you to get some hot water to keep you busy. I didn't actually think you'd _find_ some!"  
  
Timon dramatically fell backwards, catching himself against Pumbaa's snout. "Oh, Simba! You hurt me!" He put a paw over his heart. "_Deep!_"  
  
"Stop being so dramatic. I did it for your own safety."  
  
"Safety?" both Timon and Pumbaa asked.  
  
"Well, if you get on a lion's nerves and you're below them on the food chain, then you'll be missing a head... among other things."  
  
The meerkat and warthog both gulped and grasped onto their necks. "Thanks a lot."  
  
Simba chuckled and then turned to go back inside. "If you think you can contain yourselves, you can come back inside and worry."  
  
"Uh, thanks, Simba, but I don't think we'll risk losing our heads among other things by going back inside," Timon waved.  
  
"What are we gonna do with all this hot water now?" Pumbaa asked, gesturing the coconut shells with water.  
  
Timon looked at the water for a moment. "... Got a coffee maker on ya?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Crud. Well, I guess we'll have to find another way to stay awake."  
  
"We could pace some more."  
  
Timon hopped onto Pumbaa head and then shook his own. "Nah, that won't do anything. What we should do is... pace some more."  
  
"Good idea." Pumbaa, with Timon on his head, began to pace, and not long after they began did they both begin to slump forward, the pacing slowing. They each let out a yawn and slumped forward further, Pumbaa's face against the ground. Finally the pacing stopped, and they were asleep by one of the large rocks next to the entrance to the lion's cave.  
  
...  
  
The wind blowing past woke Timon up from his sleep. He stood, stretched, and rubbed his eyes. He smacked his lips and scratched his lower back as he looked forward towards the Pride Lands. His eyes widened and then he pulled on Pumbaa's ears. "Hey, Pumbaa, wake up!" he whispered into Pumbaa's stretched ears.  
  
Pumbaa mumbled, "Just five more minutes..." Timon grimaced and jumped onto Pumbaa's snout. He lifted Pumbaa's eyelids, stretched them out as far as they would go, and released them, snapping back into place. "Ow!" Pumbaa rubbed his eyes and glared at Timon with bloodshot eyes. "What was that for?"  
  
"Look!" Timon pointed to the cliff, where the shaman Rafiki was holding a lion cub up to the crowd of animals down below. Simba and Nala were standing behind him.   
  
"Oh..." Pumbaa rubbed his eyes again and trotted closer to them to see the cub.  
  
Rafiki turned away from the crowd and smeared some juice onto the cub's forehead. Simba and Nala nuzzled against the cub as Timon and Pumbaa smiled.  
  
Timon rested his elbows on Pumbaa's head and rested his chin in his paws. "Ahh, Pumbaa, look at that little guy. A real chip off the old block! And you gotta know who's gonna raise him..."  
  
"His parents?"  
  
Timon paused for a moment. "OK, sure, get technical. But who's gonna teach him the _really_ important stuff? Like how to belch?" He let out a belch. "And dig for grubs?" He jumped to the ground. "I'm telling ya, buddy, it's gonna be just like old times. You, me... and the little guy."  
  
Rafiki, Simba, and Nala were listening to the pair, grinning. Rafiki chuckled, "It is a girl."  
  
"Girl," Timon corrected himself, not really catching onto what he said.  
  
But it did sink it rather quickly to both meerkat and warthog as they stared at each other in shock. "**_GIRL?!_**"   
  
"Oy..." Timon said as he and Pumbaa both collapsed in a dead faint.  
  
Simba blinked and padded over to the two. He nudged them with his paw. "Timon, Pumbaa?"  
  
Timon stirred, sat up, and rubbed his head. "Oh, I had the _strangest_ dream. I dreamt your cub was a girl."  
  
Pumbaa sat up. "I had that dream, too."  
  
"I think we need to spend less time together then if we're dreaming the same thing."  
  
"It wasn't a dream. My daughter _is_ a girl," Simba said.  
  
Timon got up and stared at Simba. "Seriously? Now it won't be like old times!" He slapped a paw over his eyes. "There goes the neighborhood."  
  
Pumbaa padded over to Rafiki and stared at the cub in his arms. "Aww... little Nala Junior. Cutie-cutie..."  
  
"_Nala_ Junior, he says..." Timon mumbled. He scampered over and climbed on top of Pumbaa's head, getting a look at the cub. He smiled, "Aww..." The cub smiled as Timon bent over to her, and then took a paw and lightly smacked him over the head, knocking him off Pumbaa's head and onto the ground. Timon chuckled dryly as he rubbed his head. "Oh, yeah... I can tell she's gonna be trouble."  
  
"And that's why I asked you two to stay here, to make sure she stays out of trouble," Simba said.  
  
"Don't worry, Simba! We won't let little--uh, little..." Pumbaa mumbled a bit, having not been told the cub's name.  
  
"Kiara."  
  
"Right! We won't let little Kiara get into any trouble!"  
  
"Scout's honor!" Timon saluted.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Lemme guess..." Zuri grinned. "She got into trouble a lot?"  
  
"She was _worse_ than Simba," Timon said, twiddling his fingers together.  
  
"Then I hope you take better care of your own pups than of Kiara," Uncle Max said.  
  
"Hey! If she hadn't gotten into trouble all the time, the Outlanders would still be Outlanders. We helped end a long-time war!"  
  
"Well, maybe..."  
  
"I know Timon will take good care of his pups. I know because I'll be watching him like a hawk," Zuri said, leaning against Timon.  
  
"That's gonna get annoying..." Zuri giggled.  
  
"OK, time for the straws again!"  
  
_To be continued..._


	8. Timon the Sentry Part One

Sorry for the lateness... wasn't sure about the next memory. Then I thought I'd add more from the movie about Timon leaving the colony. Not much, but it adds chapters. Here's Part One! UPDATE: Removed _Digga Tunnah_ lyrics. 

Chapter 8:

The drawing of straws went around once again. The winner, once again, was Uncle Max.

"What memory are you going to share now, Uncle Max?" Pumbaa asked as he wagged his tail.

"Nothing embarrassing, I hope," Timon mumbled to himself.

"I'm thinking... I'd start with Timon's last day in the colony," Max said as he tossed his winning straw aside.

Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "Oy... not my last day in the colony."

"I don't know... I've heard that one already, Uncle Max," Pumbaa said.

"But _I_ haven't. Go ahead and tell it, Uncle Max," Zuri said as she leaned against Timon.

Timon glared at her. "You love to hear embarrassing stories about me, don't you?"

"Nah... I'm just curious."

Ma looked over at Timon, and then she walked over to Uncle Max. "I don't trust you with all the details, Max. You're sharing the memory with me."

"You don't trust your own uncle, Panya? I'm hurt," Max said.

"You're my uncle by _marriage_, remember? You're _Buzz's_ uncle."

"Oh, fine. Then would you care to start?"

"Fine. I will. The sun had just risen and I was going over to Timon's nest to wake him up--"

"Timon had his _own_ nest?" Pumbaa blinked.

"Hey, I wasn't _that_ much of a loser, still living with his mother," Timon growled.

"May I continue?" Ma asked.

"Sorry, Ma."

_4 years ago...  
_  
The sun was rising, casting a golden glow over the grasslands. It was the only time of the day that the meerkat tunnels, or the Pit of Shame as Timon calls it, looked glamorous. Of course, Timon would normally sleep well past this time of day, so he would normally see the tunnels as mere holes in the ground he had to live in. He was, as expected, still asleep in his nest, breathing softly. He flipped over from his stomach onto his back as his mother approached him.

"Timon? Are you awake yet?" she asked.

Timon mumbled as he flipped back onto his stomach, "Mm, five more minutes, Ma..."

Ma pouted his lips, tapping her foot. "All right, you asked for it." She picked up a nutshell filled with water and dumped it over Timon's head, causing him to sit up and cough.

"Stumpy, when are you gonna grow up!" Timon growled as he shook the water out of his hair. He then noticed it was his mother with the water dripping from the nutshell in her paws. He nervously smiled. "Morning, Ma. Why the rude awakening?" He then frowned. "You woke me up, so that means... I'm late for tunnel digging! Oh, man, Uncle Max is gonna skin me for this!" Timon jumped out of his nest as was about to run off, but then his mother grabbed onto his wrist, stopping him. "Ma, you _want_ me to get into trouble with Uncle Max? I happen to _like_ my skin!"

"It's a very attractive skin, sweetie, but that's not why I'm keeping you from getting to work. We're actually ahead of schedule, and Uncle Max asked me to... well..."

"He doesn't want me to dig today? What, is he afraid I'm gonna set a new record for tunnel breaking?"

"The week _is_ still young..."

"You think so, too, Ma? I'm so hurt."

Ma smiled as he put a paw on her son's back and led him down the tunnel. "I thought you'd be glad you weren't digging today. You can spend some time outside. And it's a beautiful sun this morning."

Timon waved a paw in front of his mouth as he yawned and was lead outside. "It's dawn? No wonder I'm so tired."

"I mean it. Look."

Timon rubbed his eyes and looked towards the sun. "Yeah, pretty, Ma. I'm going back to my nest." He turned to walk back to the tunnels, and then he stopped when he saw the unusual golden color cast over the tunnels. "Uh, did you guys do some redecorating while I was asleep?"

"This is how the tunnels look in the morning this time of year, when you're still asleep. You try so hard to fit in, you forget about the simpler things."

Timon put a paw to his chin. "To think we miss this every morning because of digging tunnels..."

Ma suddenly frowned. "What are you thinking, Timon?" She didn't get a reply as Timon suddenly ran for the tunnels and dropped in. "Wha--? Timon!" She ran after him, jumping down into the tunnel entrance.

The meerkats were working hard and singing the tunnel digging beat as Ma made her way through them, trying to find Timon. "Timon!" She passed through a line of meerkats carrying stones. "Excuse me. Have you seen my son? Has he been through here?" She kept walking, calling for him. "Timon!" She noticed Uncle Max walking by with a stone, singing off-beat. "Uncle Max?"

"_**YAH!**_" Max yelped. He dropped his stone and flinched.

"Uncle Max, relax. Have you seen Timon?"

Uncle Max clasped his paws together. "No, I haven't. And what a day it's been! No fractures, no lacerations, no concussions, contusions, or injuries of any sort. As a matter of fact, there's no sign of Timon's handiwork anywhere!"

Ma frowned at him, almost starting to regret she agreed to keep Timon from digging today. Suddenly, both she and Uncle Max frowned when the ceiling began to crack and crashed down on them. Ma's head popped out from the dirt and she looked towards the only structure standing, with a certain meerkat standing under it.

Uncle Max, without turning to look, silently began to fume. "That... would be... **_TIMOOON!_**"

Timon winced softly as his uncle's voice echoed, and then slowly turned to look at the colony. He nervously chuckled. "Hey, everybody!"

"Ha ha... nice work, Timon," Pete said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Way'ta go, tunnel klutz!"

"Who else could break a hole!"

"Four in one week! A new record!"

"Not again..." Ma sighed in quiet despair.

"What? It's called a _skylight!_" Timon boldly exclaimed. He watched as his "skylight" crumbled around him. He sighed and lowered his eyes, depressed that he messed up again.

His mother came up to him and tried to salvage what was left of the situation as she dusted some dirt off of Timon's fur. "Ho ho. Wow, isn't that creative? A _skylight!_" She nervously laughed and then she took Timon by the arm and started to lead him away. "I'll just have a word with him."

"I... I was just trying to shed a little light on our pathetic existence," Timon said as he watched the meerkats begin to repair the tunnel.

"Your heart's in the right place, but you're trying too hard."

"I can't help it, Ma. Every time I hear 'Digga Tunnah' I keep expecting to hear Dad's--"

"It's the same excuses every time. 'I'm just trying to make Dad proud.' 'I'm trying to make the colony like me again after what happened to Dad.'"

"It's been almost two years and they _still_ won't forget it."

Ma sighed as she began to brush some more dirt out of Timon's fur. "Timon, this can't go on. Just this month, you've pulled down four walls and collapsed two tunnel exits." She licked her paw to smooth out Timon's hair. "We have to look after each other. Our survival depends on it."

"What's the point? All we do is dig so we can hide, and hide so we can dig!" He felt his hair poof up to a bunch of spikes. He combed his hair back the way it normally was as he walked over to some tall blades of grass. "I wanna be where we don't have to dig tunnels and live with out heads stuck in the sand!" He pushed the blades aside and looked out towards the sun. "What's so bad about dreaming of a better home?"

Ma walked over to where he was. "I wanna show you something." She looked out towards the sun. "Look, Timon." She looked at him, who was looking at her. She pushed his face to look. "Go on, look. Look out to the horizon... past the trees... over the grasslands..." Timon knew this sounded familiar. His father Buzz said about the same thing to him when he was a pup. But maybe now... maybe his mother was going to say something different. He smiled as he looked out towards the outside world. "Everything the light touches... belongs to someone else!"

Timon frowned and released the grass he had pushed aside. "Funny, I thought you were going a _whole_ different direction with this."

"Well, what can I say? It's nature's design." Timon knew that sounded familiar, too. They both gasped when Uncle Max suddenly appeared from behind the grass.

"She's right!" He grabbed onto Timon's arms. "We're food for other animals, a moveable feast." He held Timon close. "Feared by no one and eaten by all!"

"But when they die, they become the grass. And we eat the grass... right?" Timon asked.

"Not exactly. We can't digest grass. We're grass-intolerant."

Ma snatched Timon away. "OK, Max! _Thank_ you, you've been a big help." She began to walk away with Timon. "Honey, I--"

Suddenly Uncle Max poked his head out from the grass in front of them. "Meerkat, it's what's for dinner!"

"_Thank_ you, Uncle Max," Ma growled as she pointed off into the distance.

Max growled and then walked away. He walked back towards the tunnels. "Try to give a little insight, and they bite your head off. In-laws... oy." He looked at the position of the sun, and then turned to the digging meerkats. "All right, who's on sentry duty?"

A few meerkats stopped digging and walked up to Max. "That's us, Max," a meerkat said.

"Fine. Pick your stations and remember--"

"We know... scurry, sniff, flinch," they said as they walked away.

Max mumbled something under his breath, and then was about to go back to digging when Ma and Timon came up to him. "Max, I just thought of a the perfect job for Timon!" Ma said.

Timon licked both of his paws and roughed his plastered down hair back to normal. "Ma, I really don't think--"

"A job Timon won't mess up at, Panya?" Max asked as he cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you think about Timon on sentry duty?"

"Timon the _sentry!_ Why don't you save the hyenas the trouble and kill me now? Just _kill me now!_"

"He has a point," Timon said.

"All you'd have to do is watch for hyenas and yell if you see one. Look at Iron Joe," ma motioned to a meerkat in the distance.

Iron Joe has been sentry one too many times. He seemed to be in the middle of a nervous breakdown. "_**Don't close your eyes! Don't look away! Somebody's gotta guard us! Somebody's gonna protect us!**_" Two other meerkats picked him up and carried him away as he began to sob.

Timon watched Iron Joe be carried away. "Well. _Now_ I'm convinced."

"Listen. It's outside, up in the breeze, under the wide open sky. Isn't that what you want?" She grinned to Uncle Max. "Or maybe _you_ would rather have him go back on the digging crew."

Both Timon and Uncle Max weren't thrilled with that idea. They both held their paws out to her and yelled, "**_NO!_**" The three looked over when they heard additional voices yell their disapproval to Timon digging. The whole colony was listening. They cleared their throats, and tried to act uninterested in the conversation. Timon gave them a bit of a look.

Ma clapped her paws together. "Good... then we _all_ agree. Timon, listen to Uncle Max. He'll teach you everything you need to know." Max shook his head, as if thinking he's going to be wasting his time. She put her paw on Timon's shoulder and quietly added in a serious tone, "And honey, try to make this one work."

Timon lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I'll try, Ma."

"And I haven't made my will out yet..." Uncle Max mumbled under his breath.

_To be continued..._


	9. Timon the Sentry Part Two

Not much to say except... here's part two!

Chapter 9:  
  
_Still 4 years ago...  
_  
Uncle Max was leading Timon over to one of the sentry lookout points. "All right, Timon, I want you to take this seriously. To be a sentry you need to be focused." He grimaced as Timon was glancing around the area. He whacked Timon over the head.  
  
"Ow! Hey!" Timon complained as he rubbed his head.  
  
"You _do_ know what it means to be focused, don't you? As in, listen to what I'm saying?"  
  
Timon sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yes, Uncle Max."  
  
"Good. This will be your station," Max gestured to the rock and tree sentry point.  
  
"... Couldn't I be stationed somewhere else?" Timon frowned.  
  
"All the other stations have been stationed. If you stay focused, you'll forget about your father being buried here." He cleared his throat. "You remember the sentry training, don't you?"  
  
"Well, from what you decided to teach me, yes." Timon scurried to the top of the rock. "Scratch, sniff, flinch, wasn't it?" Timon shook his head and started mumbling it to himself. "No, no, wait, there was a scurry in there somewhere... Scurry, flinch, scratch? Maybe it's scratch, sniff, scurry. No, that doesn't sound right... I know there's a flinch in there somewhere..."  
  
Max slapped a paw over his eyes. "Get down from there. I show you how it's done. And pay attention this time!" Timon jumped down from the rock and leaned his weight against the tree. He watched as Uncle Max demonstrated the correct moments. "Scurry, sniff, **FLINCH!** Scurry, sniff, **FLINCH!** Scurry, sniff, **FLINCH!**" Timon rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Good." He turned back to Timon and approached him. "Now... what do we do if we see a hyena?"  
  
"Scream '_Mommy_?'"  
  
"That's _right_, mister! Because the world out there is fraught with danger." He shook Timon by the arms. "**_FRAUGHT I TELL YOU!_**"  
  
Timon mumbled to himself, "Oh, boy. It's the Fraught Fest."  
  
"Even _all_ bloodthirsty hyenas are waiting to rip us limb from limb!" Max ranted.  
  
Timon clapped and said sarcastically, "Bra-_vo_, Uncle Max! Way to sell it to the cheap seats."  
  
Max took hold of his great-nephew's wrists, getting right into his face. "Applaud now, sonny boy." He added in a quiet, severe tone, "But try clapping when you don't have any hands." He noticed Timon's shocked expression, seeing he proved his point. He turned and left, hearing Timon gulp.  
  
As he walked away he heard Timon saying the order to himself, "Scurry, sniff, flinch..."   
  
He smiled, satisfied. Maybe Timon would actually do this right. He walked down the hill to the broken tunnel, walking past Timon's mother.  
  
"What's with the smile, Max?" she asked.  
  
"Believe it or not, Panya, your boy actually listened to my instructions. Sentry duty may be the best thing for him after all. And we can finally work on the tunnels without worrying about him breaking them!"  
  
Ma frowned. "You don't have to lay it on so thick."  
  
"I just think it's pride."  
  
"Whatever. I'm getting back to work." Ma dropped down into a nearby tunnel.  
  
"Yeah, you do that." Max looked up at the sky, noticing the sudden change in color. "Hmm... be alert, men! There may be a change in weather soon!" Max heard some mumbled replies, and then he went around surveying the work progress. He felt confident. Repairs were underway, Timon wasn't a part of it, and he actually listened to his uncle's instructions. Max smiled again, proud things were going his way... including Timon rolling down the hill and right into him.  
  
"Ow! OK..." Timon began, starting to climb off of Max.  
  
Max shoved Timon off, rather abruptly. "This is no time for horseplay, Timon. You're suppose to be up there looking out for..." He looked up from where Timon came, seeing three hyenas approaching them, snickering. His eyes widened and his became frozen with fear. "**_HYENAS!_**" The other meerkats popped up from the duties in terror, than began running around in a mad dash for cover.  
  
Ma was down below with a few other meerkats when they heard the shout. "Hyenas are up there?!" Ma asked.  
  
"Why didn't we get an alert from the sentry?" Pete asked, looking up at a nearby tunnel opening.  
  
"The sentry?" Ma softly gasped. "Oh, no..." She got directly under the opening, seeing a meerkat standing there, covering his head. She recognized the stripes on his back, reached up, and grabbed him. She started pulling, feeling the meerkat straining to stay where he was. She pulled him down headfirst. Timon landed on his rear. "Get in here! What are you, a meshugginah?"  
  
Timon nervously laughed. "Thanks, Ma."  
  
"Timon, weren't _you_ on sentry duty?" Pete asked, tapping his foot.  
  
"Well--"  
  
"Never mind that now, Pete. We're suppose to meet in the central meeting tunnel when something like this happens to make sure everyone's accounted for!" Ma said as she dragged Timon down a tunnel with her. When they arrived it looked like the whole colony was there. Ma went over roll call for the next two minutes. "Stumpy? Flinchy? Swifty?"  
  
"Here!"  
  
"Here!"   
  
"Here!"  
  
Ma put a paw on her forehead and let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, what a relief. Everybody's..." Something in her mind suddenly clicked, and she gasped. "Where's Uncle Max?"  
  
Several meerkats ran out of the central meeting tunnel to watch from a tunnel exit. Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "Oh, man, I _really_ messed up this time. This is the worst!" he said to himself.  
  
"Max said you actually listened to him. I thought you were focused," Ma said.  
  
"I _did_ listen to him, and I _was_ focused... until I suddenly heard marimbas playing in my head and broke into song," Timon mumbled as his tapped his fingertips together.  
  
Ma slapped a paw over her forehead. "You broke into song? On _sentry duty?_ Oy, Timon... I thought I told you to take this seriously." Timon bowed his head, and then lifted it up when he heard some meerkats shouting.  
  
"Max! Run for your life!"  
  
"Play dead!"  
  
"_¡Andale!_"  
  
"Almost there!"  
  
"You've got it, Max!" The ceiling shook slightly as a pounce as heard and the meerkats were heard groaning. Some munching was also heard.   
  
"Uncle Max..." Timon softly said. He shook his bowed head as Ma put her paws on his shoulders. "No, not again..."  
  
The other meerkats bowed their heads, including the meerkats arriving back from watching Max try to escape. Suddenly, Max dropped from the ceiling with a shout, grabbing everyone's attention. The fur from his tail was bitten off. Timon let out a relieved sigh as Ma walked over towards Max.  
  
"Max! Is he all right?" a few meerkats asked.   
  
Max lifted his head up, and a finger. A few meerkats leaned over to him to hear what he was about to say. "I flinched... when I should've scurried." He collapsed again. A few meerkats sat Max upright, one fanning his paw in front of his face.  
  
Timon rubbed the back of his neck briefly, then decided to break the silence. "I uh... I guess I owe everyone an apology." He tapped his fingertips together nervously as he stood before a crowd of angry meerkats. "All right, so I made a _teensy_ mistake. Like we all haven't broken into song on sentry duty before. Ha ha ha... come on. Let me have a show of hands." He watched as the meerkats standing near him walked away and over to Max's side. "OK..." He decided to try a different approach, trying to ignore the severe stares he was receiving. "Maybe it's a little too soon, but I'm sure we're all gonna laugh about this someday. Trust me."  
  
Max, who was back on his feet, had his arms folded in front of his chest. He sneered at Timon and said in a quiet, severe tone, "I _did_ trust you." Ma, who was standing behind some of the taller meerkats, softly winced at that.   
  
Timon frowned. He tried to think of another reason to go easy on him. "But..." He couldn't find one. He just watched as the meerkats quietly walked out of the tunnel, except for Ma. He turned away from her, sighed, and walked out in another direction.  
  
Ma was about to stop him, but stopped herself, thinking she needed to leave him alone for a bit. She went off in the direction the other meerkats went. She grabbed Uncle Max by the shoulder. "Max, did you have to be so hard on him?"  
  
"_Someone_ has to do it! Look what his goofing off did to me!" Max growled as he held his furless tail.  
  
"He's right, Panya. We got lucky today, but we might not be so lucky if Timon keeps daydreaming about this better life he keeps raving about," Pete said.  
  
"He'll learn--"  
  
"You can't keep defending him," Max said, poking her in the shoulder.  
  
Ma clasped her paws together, a determined look on her face. "I just _know_ there's a place in this colony for him. We just have to try harder to--"  
  
"_Panya!_" Pete snapped, surprising her a bit. He sighed and put a paw on her shoulder. "Look, I know he's all you've got left after all that's happened, and you just want to keep him safe. But he's not a pup anymore. You need to treat him like an adult."  
  
"We've tried just about every job and nothing works. Timon will _never_ find a place in this colony," Max said as he and Pete turned and walked away. Ma watched after them, and sighed. She decided Timon has had enough time to himself and went to find him.  
  
...  
  
Timon climbed up onto the rock he was stationed at earlier. He stood up and did the sentry movements. "Scurry, sniff, flinch." He paused, and did it again. "Scurry, sniff, flinch." He looked around and then he sat down, sighing deeply. He looked down at his father's grave and sighed again. "That does it. I can't stay here and let you watch me mess up more and more everyday. Besides, I can't look for that perfect life by staying here. But... you did tell me to look after Ma..." He sighed again. "But you also told me to look for that perfect life. I guess Pete and all the others can look after her. Now... what am I gonna tell her?" He sat there silent for a few moments, and then he heard footsteps.  
  
"Aw, sweetie..." Ma said as she approached him.  
  
"... I'm never gonna fit in here. Nobody... even _likes_ me."  
  
"Sure they do, honey. Sure they do!"  
  
"_Besides_ you, Ma."  
  
"Uh, besides me?" Ma mumbled to herself. "Um, there's, uh..."  
  
Timon went to get up. "I have to find my place... but it isn't here."  
  
Ma pulled him back down to sit and then began to play with his hair. "Yes it is. We just haven't found it yet, but we will. Oh, here's an idea. You could run a--"  
  
Timon got up and pawed her paws away. "Enough with the hair already." He looked out towards the open grasslands. "My place is out _there_, Ma. Oh, I may not know exactly where, or how far, but I gotta go!"  
  
"No, wait, wait, wait. I know. If we just--"  
  
Timon bluntly interrupted her. "Ma."  
  
Ma stood there, looking at her son. He was all she had left, after Buzz died. He obviously was tired to trying to fit in here and failing. He was different compared to the others. She sighed. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for, honey." Timon turned, smiled, and then walked over to hug her. She returned the hug. "Oh. Oh, I love you."  
  
"I love ya, Ma."  
  
They stayed that way for a few moments, Ma hugging him tighter. He eventually dropped his arms, when his mother's hugging was covering his mouth and nose. "Timmy... my Timmy..."  
  
"Mom... choking... not breathing." He received a kiss on the cheek and managed to come up to breathe. "And people wonder why I have issues." He felt his mother finally releasing him. As Ma took his paws into her own, Timon gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be OK!"  
  
"Oh, I know you will!" She added in a soft, sad voice, "You will." She looked down at their paws, and slowly let go. She watched as Timon gave her another smile, turned, and began to walk away. _This is for the best,_ she thought. "Be careful!"  
  
Timon turned back to her. "I will!" He continued to walk.  
  
"Don't talk to strangers!"  
  
"I know, Ma!"  
  
"Remember, wash behind your ears!"  
  
Timon stopped and turned back to her, a bit impatient. "Ma, I'm not a kid anymore!" He turned and walked further.  
  
"Never go swimming without a buddy!"  
  
"Got it!"  
  
"Send us a message!"  
  
"... _What?!_"  
  
"I said, send us a message!"  
  
"_WHAT?!_"  
  
Ma impatiently stamped her foot. "I _said,_ send us a--!"  
  
"Good-bye, Ma!"  
  
Ma sighed, and then coughed at screaming after him. She watched as her son became a little speck against the setting sun. She nodded to herself. "This is for the best. I just hope this isn't the last time I see you, Timmy."  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Aww, that was so sweet," Zuri said.  
  
"Did you really think you would ever see me again, Ma?" Timon asked.  
  
"Honestly? Well, I really, really hoped," Ma said.  
  
"And I really, really hoped we wouldn't," Uncle Max said as he gathered the straws together.  
  
"But it all worked out in the end, right? Timon found me, we found this place, and we're all living together," Pumbaa said.  
  
"Yeah, I guess... OK, time for the next memory!"  
  
_To be continued... _


	10. Meeting Jina

OK, here's another memory... couldn't think of how to use the deleted scene of Timon and family going to Pride Rock, so I decided to use it for Zuri and family. Hope you like. Read on!  
  
Chapter 10:  
  
The straw passing went around once more, and Zuri drew the long straw.  
  
"What are you gonna tell us this time, Zuri?" Pumbaa asked as he wagged his tail.  
  
Zuri twirled the straw between her fingers a bit. "Well, that depends... do you want to be in it or do you want to hear a memory from before we met?"  
  
"A memory where there's no chance I could get laughed at?" Timon said to himself. "I vote before we met."  
  
"_You_ would, Timon," Zuri grinned. She clicked her tongue and leaned back against Pumbaa. "Well, I guess since we heard how you and Pumbaa met, I could tell you how Jina and I met."  
  
"Oh, boy! We get to hear how Zuri and Jina met!" Pumbaa cheered.  
  
"I've been very curious about that myself," Ma said, nodding.  
  
"It's weird enough when one meerkat and warthog, two completely different animals, meet and become friends, but _two?_" Uncle Max said.  
  
"Yeah, Timon wasn't the only one to have some unbelievable events happen in his life," Zuri said. She then tapped a finger to her chin, thinking. "Let's see... the day we met was a special day..."  
  
_4 years ago..._  
  
It was a little past dawn when Shomari's colony finally stopped from their long journey. Tired, they sat and rubbed their aching feet. Zuri panted softly and walked ahead a bit more. In the distance was Pride Rock, surrounded by animals underneath.  
  
"I can see it. We're almost there!" she smiled as she looked back at the colony, noticing they had begun to dig.  
  
"No, we're here," Shomari said as he surveyed the digging.  
  
"But the Lion King is _there._ We gotta get closer!"  
  
Shomari exhaled and looked over at her. "Zuri, every animal in the Pride Lands is there, and that _includes_ our predators. I doubt everyone ate before they came. It's safe right here. So, enjoy the view from where you are."  
  
Zuri sighed and looked ahead, and then she growled when two hippos sat where she could no longer see the view of Pride Rock. "Papa, can you do something about this?"  
  
Shomari looked at the hippos, and then he glanced at his daughter. "You want me to try to get two hippos out of your view of Pride Rock so you can see someone who'll probably end up eating us one day?"  
  
"Is there a problem?" she nervously smiled when her father arched an eyebrow at her.   
  
"Yeah. I'm not suicidal."  
  
"But Papa, we're here to see the Lion King. We didn't come all this way to sit behind a row of--"  
  
"Maybe _you're_ here to see the Lion King, but _we're_ here to dig our new tunnels. As soon as the presentation's over, we'll need the cover from the animals who skipped breakfast."  
  
Zuri grimaced, and then she looked over at her mother Dalila. "Mom, help me out here."  
  
"I'm sorry, dear, but I have to agree with your father. Why don't you climb a tree if you want to see what's going on over there?" Dalila said, and then she went back to digging.  
  
Zuri growled and turned back towards Pride--well, the _hippos_ blocking her view of Pride Rock. She approached them. "Climb a tree, my... I'm gonna see this presentation, hippos or no hippos." She started to climb up one of the hippos' backs, grasping onto the flabby skin carefully. She climbed to the top and sat on the hippo's head. "Ahh, much better." She put a paw over her eyes to shield the sunlight as she looked out towards Pride Rock.  
  
The other hippo glanced up at Zuri, and then he looked to the first hippo. "Is that a new toupee?"  
  
"No, but it _does_ itch," the first hippo said as he went to scratch his head.   
  
Zuri jumped back to her feet to avoid the hippo's nails. "Hey, watch it!" She yelped when she fell off and landed onto a brown warthog's back, who didn't seem to notice her. "Ow..." She rubbed her rear and noticed she was receiving a glare from the hippos. She nervously smiled and chuckled. "Guess I shoulda asked if I could sit on your head, huh?"  
  
"It's not a toupee, so what is it?" the first hippo asked the second.  
  
"An oversized rat, maybe?"  
  
Zuri stood and growled. "Oversized _rat?!_ I'm a _meerkat,_ bub! And if you hadn't sat right in front of me, blocking my view of Pride Rock, I wouldn't have been scaling any 20 _tons_ of mountain!"   
  
"... You're a little low on the food chain to be mouthing off, pipsqueak."  
  
Zuri gulped, and then stopped. "Wait a second...meerkats aren't part of a hippo's diet. Hippos are herbivores." She jumped off the warthog's back and offered a paw to shake. "No hard feelings, right, fellas?"  
  
"Oh, I know what it is," the second hippo said.  
  
"What is it?" the first asked.  
  
"Didn't I just say I'm a meerkat?" Zuri asked, looking a bit annoyed.  
  
The hippos ignored her. "It's a talking seat cushion."  
  
"Ahh, good. I could use one right now."  
  
Zuri gulped as she backed away from the hippos. "Talking... seat... cushion?" She backed up right into the warthog's back leg.   
  
"Hmm?" the warthog grunted, and then looked back to see what bumped into her. She saw Zuri, and then looked up at the hippos. "What's this about a seat cushion?"  
  
Zuri looked at the warthog and tapped her fingertips together. "I wouldn't be very comfortable, trust me," she nervously chuckled.  
  
"I'll be the judge of that," the first hippo said as he reached for her. Zuri closed her eyes and covered her head as the hippo reached for her, but then the warthog turned around and snatched her into her mouth, completely into her mouth. She made a swallowing motion. "Hey, that was ours."   
  
The warthog shrugged and then trotted off through the crowd.   
  
"I didn't know warthogs ate meerkats..." the second hippo blinked.  
  
"Eh, almost _everyone_ eats meerkats," the first shrugged.   
  
The warthog made it out to a small clearing, looked around briefly, and then opened her mouth. "Coast is clear."  
  
Zuri still had her eyes shut, but when she felt the fresh air, she opened them and looked out. "You're letting me go?"  
  
"Can you asked me that when you're out of my mouth?" the warthog asked with her mouth wide open, so the question was hard to understand.   
  
Zuri did understand it after a moment. "Oh, sorry." She jumped out and groaned softly as she wiped some salvia off her fur. "Ugh, and I just cleaned the fur..."  
  
The warthog rubbed her jaw and smacked her lips. "Better than being squished, isn't it?"  
  
Zuri nervously chuckled. "Yeah... Thanks for your help. For a second, I thought you were actually going to eat me."  
  
"I consider meerkats junk food, because almost everyone eats them, and I don't eat junk food." Zuri frowned. "Just kidding."  
  
"Right. So what _do_ you eat?"   
  
The warthog shrugged, "Oh, grass, the occasional fruit..." She stopped when she and Zuri saw a beetle scurry by. The warthog grinned, crouched down, and started after it. Zuri did as well. When the beetle stopped, so did they. They wiggled their tails, preparing to pounce. They both pounced and made a dive for the beetle, who flew off, leaving the two sliding in the dirt.   
  
"Aww, there goes breakfast," Zuri complained. She furrowed her brow at the warthog. "What's the big idea scaring away my meal, copy-hog?"  
  
"_Your_ meal? I didn't see _your_ name on that beetle," the warthog retorted as she dusted herself off.   
  
"I didn't see _your_ name on it either." Zuri dusted herself off, and then she blinked. "You mean you eat bugs, too?"  
  
The warthog chuckled as she tapped her front hooves together. "Well, they have better flavor than grass and you don't have to guess if they're ripe enough like fruit."  
  
Zuri leaned closer to the warthog, tapping her fingertips together. "I've always wondered something..."  
  
The warthog lowered her face down to the meerkat. "Go ahead."  
  
Zuri leaned forward onto the warthog's snout. "Well... if another animal ate something that you eat... do you still eat the animal that ate what you ate?"  
  
"... Huh?"  
  
"If I ate a bug, you wouldn't eat me so you would have the bug, would you?"  
  
"No."  
  
Zuri leaned closer, looking her right in the eye. "Is that the same with _all_ animals, or just you?"  
  
"I wouldn't know. The food chain confuses me." She watched as Zuri nodded and took a step back. "Guess you'll be heading back to your mob, right?"  
  
"Yeah, we were starting to dig tunnels when I wanted to watch the presentation," Zuri said as she lightly kicked some dirt. "And you'll be going back to your sounder, right?"  
  
"Planning to," the warthog nodded.  
  
"Y'know... if you're ever in the neighborhood, you could drop by. A lot of animals try to eat me, so it's nice to meet one that only eats bugs and stuff."  
  
"Sure. I could probably show you some places, too."  
  
"You could?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Great! See you around then." Zuri turned to walk away, and then she paused and turned back to the warthog. "By the way... what _is_ your name?"  
  
"Jina. What's yours?"  
  
"Zuri."  
  
"OK. See you around, Zuri!"  
  
"Take care, Jina." The two walked in separate directions, wondering when their next meeting would be.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"So that's how you met, huh?" Timon asked.  
  
"Yup," Zuri said as she tossed the winning straw over to Uncle Max. "Jina used to wonder around a lot with her sounder. That's why you guys didn't meet her until we brought her to the oasis."  
  
"Ahh, so that's why," Pumbaa nodded.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm done."  
  
"OK, then. It's time for the next memory!"  
  
_To be continued..._


	11. Pete Takes a Turn

Chapter 11:  
  
Just as Uncle Max was about to go around to pass out straws, Pete pushed his way through some bushes over to the group. "Afternoon, all."  
  
All eyes turned to Pete. Pumbaa stood, causing Timon and Zuri, who were leaning against him, to fall over. "How's Jina doing? Are they here yet?" he asked.  
  
"She's fine, considering. And no, not yet. Dalila and Hasina are taking over for a while." He eyed the straws in Max's paws. "What's with the straws, Max?"  
  
"It's to decide who shares a memory next. Whoever draws the longest straw wins," Max said.  
  
"It's to help Pumbaa relax," Zuri said as she sat up and dusted her fur off.  
  
"Ahh, good. Now we don't have to fill in another hole like we did with Timon. Is it helping?" Pete asked.  
  
"Yup! We just finished hearing about how Zuri and Jina met," Pumbaa said.  
  
"Why don't you join us, Pete? Share a memory," Ma said.  
  
"Well, I guess I have time..." Pete took a moment to eye the straws in Max's paws and finally picked one. He drew the long straw. "Huh... lucky."  
  
Timon suddenly came up to Pete and put his paws on his shoulders. "_Please,_ Pete, nothing with me in it! Something about what happened after I left the colony!"  
  
"Why shouldn't I remember something with you?"  
  
"Chances are I end up embarrassing myself."  
  
"Aww, but those are the best ones," Zuri grinned.   
  
Timon glared at her slightly. "One of these days, I'm going to go to your mother and get some dirt on you."  
  
"Mm. Is that a threat or a promise?"  
  
Pete cleared his throat to get Timon's attention back. "That's pretty limited, pup."  
  
Timon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come _on!_ I was gone for two _years!_ There must've been _something_ that happened while I was gone!"  
  
"Nothing interesting. We digged tunnels, hid from predators... You weren't around to mess up or break the tunnels, so life became pretty mundane."  
  
Timon grimaced. "Well, unless someone can suggest something for him, pick a memory that isn't too embarrassing to me."   
  
"Well--"  
  
"Ooh, I know, I know! How about when Mrs. Ma and Uncle Max left to find Timon?" Pumbaa asked, wagging his tail a bit.  
  
"Hmm... you two haven't told them about that, have you?" Pete asked Ma and Max, who both shook their heads. "All right. I guess I could share that memory then."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
Pete put the straw in his mouth and chewed on the end. "Since Timon left, the tunnel construction went without a hitch... uh, _most_ of the time anyway..."  
  
_4 years ago...  
_  
"_Panya!_"  
  
Ma poked her head out from under the dirt, dusting it out of her hair. She just brought down the south wall in the north wing. She received not angry stares, but concerned and... slightly annoyed looks. Pete went over and helped her up. "Are you OK?"  
  
"Physically," Ma said.  
  
"What's wrong? You're starting to turn into Timon," a meerkat said as he helped her to solid ground.   
  
"Well, what's wrong with that? He is my _son,_" Ma said, furrowing her brow and putting her paws on her hips.  
  
"No offense, Panya, but he was delaying the proceedings of the tunnels. And ever since he left, _you've_ been acting up in the tunnels. You're taking his place as the tunnel klutz."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't help being worried about him. I asked him to send me a message and I haven't gotten anything yet."  
  
"Typical son," Pete grinned, patting Ma on the shoulder.   
  
Ma grabbed the front of his chest and pulled him down to her level. "Typical, what _typical?!_ He could be **_dead,_** Pete!"  
  
"_Could be_ doesn't mean he is," Pete nervously chuckled as he pried Ma's paws off.  
  
"Well, come on, let's fix this before Max shows up," a meerkat said as she walked away.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we heard ya." Pete stopped Ma from following the other meerkats. "Maybe tunnel digging is a little too stressful. Maybe you should go on sentry duty while we clean this up." He noticed Ma staring at him, and then he realized what he said. "Right. You're right. But you could at least get a little fresh air."  
  
"Not a bad idea, I guess..." Ma said as she walked away.   
  
Pete shook his head as he watched her leave. "Poor Panya. I guess if _my_ accident-prone son left, I'd be worried, too." He went after the other meerkats to get to work repairing the wall.  
  
Ma climbed out of the tunnel and inhaled the fresh air. She walked over to the rock and tree sentry point and climbed up onto the rock. She looked off in the direction Timon went a few days ago, and softly sighed. "I hope you're safe, Timmy."  
  
Suddenly Rafiki popped up right in front of her. "Timmy?" Ma screamed, surprised. "Easy, easy, now. I am not attacking."  
  
Ma put a paw to her chest and panted. She growled at Rafiki, "What _are_ you doing then, besides scaring me out of my skin?"  
  
"Was taking a walk. Thought Rafiki would stop for a chat."  
  
"Rafiki? The baboon shaman of the Pride Lands?" The baboon bowed. Ma snorted, "There _are_ better ways to get my attention than to give me a heart attack."  
  
"No harm intended, but Rafiki can tell your heart _does_ feel pain. From the loss of the king and prince of the Pride Lands?"  
  
Ma sighed and sat down on the rock. "No. My son left the colony a few days ago and I haven't heard a word from him yet."  
  
Rafiki leaned against his staff and nodded. "A typical son." He stroked his beard briefly, and then he paused. "So, he is a rogue now?"  
  
Ma nodded, a bit ashamed, "Yes."  
  
"Why did he leave?" Rafiki asked as he sat down next to the rock.  
  
"He was having trouble fitting in. And he wanted to find a better life, where he wouldn't have to dig or hide from hyenas, and it wasn't here."  
  
Rafiki stroked his beard again. "Life without worry."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"This boy of yours... what is his name?"  
  
"Timon."  
  
"Timon. He has red hair, brown eyes, five stripes on his back, the middle stripe is wider than the other four..."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"He sang a song describing what he wants--?"  
  
"You mean you've seen him?!" Ma asked, jumping to her feet.  
  
"I believe I have. He told me he wanted to live in a beautiful, carefree place that is outside, where he would not hide or worry."  
  
"That's Timon, all right," Ma said as she rubbed her paws together. "Is he all right?"  
  
"He was fine when I found him, although he was quite lost. He described where he wanted to go, so I told him he was seeking Hakuna Matata."  
  
"Hahuna Ma-_what_-a?"  
  
Rafiki chuckled, "It means 'no worries.'"  
  
"I see..."  
  
"So, I told the boy, 'to find Hakuna Matata, you must look beyond what you see.'"  
  
Ma put a finger to her chin, understanding. "Oh... a metaphor." She reached over to grab Rafiki's staff, not paying attention to how heavy it was.  
  
"Well, actually it's not a meta--" He yelped slightly when he was clocked on the head with his own staff.   
  
Ma threw the staff aside and grabbed Rafiki's beard, pulling him down to her level. "You used a _metaphor_ on Timon?! He takes things _literally!_" She released his beard and started to panic. "That's it! He's starving out there! I just _know_ it!" She leaned over to a nearby tunnel entrance and yelled down into it. "Max, Timon's out there chasing metaphors! I've gotta go find him!"  
  
Max's voice actually shook the ground as he yelled back from inside the hole, "**_Are you NUTS?!_**"  
  
From inside the tunnel, the meerkats rubbed their ears at Max's scream. "A little louder, Max. I can still hear out of this ear," Pete growled, sticking his finger in his ear.   
  
"I was just making sure she heard me," Max snorted.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure _Jersey_ heard you." He looked up at the opening. "She sounds serious." He looked at Max. "She shouldn't go alone."  
  
"So go with her, Pete," Max said as he started to walk away.  
  
Pete growled and grabbed Max by the shoulder. "What's the matter with you, Max? Are you just going to let your niece wonder the Pride Lands drawing attention to herself?"  
  
"She's my niece by marriage."  
  
"What about Timon?"  
  
"... There must've been some mix-up when he was born. There's _no way_ he can be my great-nephew!"  
  
"Whether you like it or not, you and he _are_ blood. Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Ti--?"  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Mmph?" Pete blinked when Ma slapped a paw over his mouth.  
  
"_Ix-nay_, Pete," Ma said quietly through clenched teeth.   
  
"What was that for?" Zuri asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like to know myself. Would you mind telling me who's Ti or whoever it is Pete was saying?" Timon asked, scratching his head.  
  
Pete pulled Ma's paw from his mouth. "You _still_ haven't told him?" he whispered to her, furrowing his brow.  
  
"What good would it do him if he knew he had a dead brother?" she whispered back.  
  
"We don't know he's dead for sure."  
  
"The odds that he's alive are a million to one."  
  
"There's still a chance..."  
  
"It's been six years. Even if Titus--"  
  
"Titus?"  
  
Both Ma and Pete jumped when they realized Timon had walked over and were listening in. "Did you say 'Titus'?" they both innocently asked.  
  
"Yeah. Who is Titus?" Timon asked.  
  
Pete gave Ma a look, to which Ma sighed. "... He was a meerkat we lost to hyenas when you were a pup. You wouldn't remember him," she said.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you were only three weeks old when he died."  
  
Timon scratched his head, "Yeah, I guess it _would_ be a little difficult to remember someone from that time. Did _I_ know him?"  
  
"... Yeah, you knew him. You were pretty close."  
  
"Huh... too bad. Well, no use shedding tears on someone I don't remember, right?" Timon shrugged and then walked back over to Zuri, not noticing Pumbaa shaking his head disapprovingly at Ma. "I don't see why you wanted to keep it a secret from me, but then mothers know best, I guess."  
  
"Heh... yeah," Ma shrugged, and then she noticed Pete drumming his fingers on his knee. "Sorry, Pete. Go ahead and finish."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
_4 years ago...  
_  
"... Do you really want to lose him and Panya like you lost Buzz and Titus?"  
  
"... If I leave, who's going to take care of things here?"  
  
"We can do fine on our own. We've been trained by the best our whole lives. Now go on."  
  
"All right, but if I don't survive this blind-leading-the-blind journey, Pete, I'm coming back to haunt you."   
  
"Sure, go ahead. I could use new nightmares."  
  
"Smart aleck pup..." Max mumbled as he climbed up to the surface.  
  
"Just be careful out there..."  
  
Max climbed to the top and looked around. He saw Ma walking off in the direction Timon went days before, so he climbed out and ran after her. "Panya!"  
  
Ma stopped and looked back at him. "Uncle Max. I've made up my mind, so if you're here to talk me out of it--"  
  
"Whether I like it or not, Timon is family, therefore I'm going with you."  
  
"... You are?"  
  
"Well, I wasn't going to let you go by yourself and draw attention to yourself. Besides, you need someone to help you dig tunnels to hide from predators."  
  
"Oh, Max..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, enough with your emotions. Let's just go and find him." They both continued walking away.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"You mean you were looking for me for that _whole_ two years I've been gone?" Timon asked his mother, a bit amazed.  
  
"Talk about a dedicated mother," Zuri said.  
  
"Well, you were all I had left, since your father died," Ma said, nodding.  
  
"We searched most of southern Africa to find you," Uncle Max said.  
  
"I guess we missed the oasis by a long shot."  
  
"Safe bet."  
  
"Well, it was fun, but I'd better get back to taking care of Jina," Pete said as he tossed the straw over to Max. "Be back later."  
  
"Bye, Pete!" Pumbaa waved. He then looked back at the rest of the group. "OK, time for another memory!"  
  
_To be continued..._


	12. The Tragic Event

OK, I don't see how I can put an epilogue on this one _(though I say that almost every time)_, so this'll be the last chapter. I think my last two fics have weakened because of the various flashbacks I've been putting in, so I'm hoping the next one I do will be as popular as _Son of Fearless Buzz_ and _Someone Like You_. Remember, those fics are still up, and I've got _An Old Fight _up, too. So if you haven't reviewed for those yet, get out there and go for it! _Son of Fearless Buzz_ is almost at the 100-mark! Anyway, I'll be back as soon as I think up a logical plot to use with the kids. Hope to see you soon!  
  
Chapter 12:  
  
Straw passing went around once more, and Pumbaa drew the long straw.  
  
"Your turn again, Pumbaa. What's it gonna be this time?" Ma asked.  
  
"Well... I think I've been holding off the tragic event long enough. I'll tell you what I remember about it," Pumbaa said.  
  
"_Whoo-hoo!_" Timon cheered as he literally jumped into the air, and then dropped back down and quickly cleared his throat when he received a few glares from the group. "I-I mean, well, if _you_ really wanna share it, Pumbaa old buddy, then by _all_ means." He started to walk away. "Just lemme get a drink real quick."   
  
"Are you sure you want to share that memory, Pumbaa?" Zuri asked as she put a paw on Pumbaa's tusk.  
  
"Well, better to get it out of the way. Besides, this could be the last memory. With all the time that's gone by, I expect Pete to come over anytime and say 'congratulations, Pumbaa, you're a father.'"  
  
"Guess so... and then Timon will stop obsessing over it."  
  
"He just wants to know more about me, that's all. And I wouldn't be surprised if he tried hypnotizing me again."  
  
"Oh, Pumbaa, he's not dumb enough to--" She stopped when she noticed Timon walking back, wiping the back of his mouth with the back of his paw.   
  
"What was that, Zuri?" Timon asked with an arched brow.  
  
"Uh... I..."  
  
"Such a poet." Timon then rubbed his paws together. "I _know_ what went wrong when I tried hypnotizing you earlier, Pumbaa."  
  
"You're not any good at it?" Uncle Max asked.  
  
"Not exactly. Any good hypnotist knows that you need to wave something shiny in front of the victim's-- I-I mean _volunteer's_ eyes. And finding something shiny in the middle of a jungle ain't like finding grubs under tree bark."  
  
"So, you're not trying it again?" Pumbaa asked.  
  
"Nah, not unless something shiny just happens to crawl by." Timon went to sit, but then he saw his son Kito crawl over to a snail, trying to grab onto its shell. He managed to grab it, and the snail ducked back into its shell. "Atta boy, Kito! You finally caught something. Not that you can eat it yet, but still..."   
  
"The youngest grub catcher... I'm so proud," Ma said with a smirk.  
  
Timon went over to Kito and picked him up. "Just imagine when he actually starts walking. He'll be a pro, just like his old man." He then noticed the snail coming out of its shell and started to slug away. He grinned, reached over, and picked the snail up. The snail ducked back into its shell. "Shiny snail shell. That'll work."  
  
"Uh-oh..." Pumbaa mumbled to himself with a roll of his eyes.  
  
Timon set Kito down next to Zuri, who said blinking, "Suspiciously convenient."  
  
"What are you complaining for?" Timon slurped the snail up out of its shell and wiped his mouth of snail slime.   
  
"Timon, _what_ have I told you about slurping?" Ma asked, putting a paw on her hip.  
  
"Uh... _don't?_" Timon asked with a nervous smile as he wrapped a short, thin vine around the shell. He gave the shell a brief buffing with his forearm. He then turned back to Pumbaa and climbed onto his snout. "Let's try this again, shall we?"  
  
"Timon, it's not gonna work. I can't be hypno--" He paused when Timon dropped the shell from his paw and dangled it in front of Pumbaa. "_Oooo._ Shiny..."  
  
"Now that I've got your attention..."   
  
"Look away this time, Timon," Uncle Max said.   
  
Timon ignored his uncle and swung the shell in front of Pumbaa's eyes, to which Pumbaa's eyes followed. "When I snap my fingers, you will enter a deep trance and remember that tragic event that happened in your childhood. Do you understand?" Pumbaa nodded slowly. Timon snapped his fingers, and then Pumbaa's eyes closed. Timon stared at him for a few moments, and then grinned when Pumbaa started to snore.  
  
"Did it work?" Ma asked.  
  
"How about it, Pumbaa? Do you remember what happened?" Pumbaa nodded slowly. "Good. So, start from the beginning."  
  
"Which beginning would you like to know about?" Pumbaa asked, his eyes still closed.  
  
"What do you mean 'which beginning?'" Zuri asked.  
  
"The beginning of the universe, the beginning of life, the--"  
  
Timon slapped a paw over his eyes. "No, no, no, not _that_ far back! Pumbaa, by _'the beginning,'_ we mean the beginning of the day when you lost your family... or whatever happened."  
  
"Oh, that. Well, I lived in a normal warthog sounder with my siblings and mother. My father was a typical male warthog loner, so it was Mom that took care of things..."  
  
_6 years ago...  
_  
Pumbaa, about 14 months old _(which is probably mid-teenager)_, sniffed around the grass for some grubs, finding only a few small ants. He snorted.  
  
"Mom, are you finding any grubs over there?" he asked a female warthog, who was digging nearby with two other warthogs, the same age as Pumbaa.  
  
"No big ones," the mother said, dropping a tuber into a pile of tubers.  
  
"Good... too many bugs give Pumbaa gas," a young male warthog, Pumbaa's brother, said.  
  
"They do not!" Pumbaa snorted.   
  
"You're right. _Everything_ gives you gas."  
  
Pumbaa mumbled, "I can't help having a sensitive digestive track."  
  
"If you can't find any bugs, we've got plenty of tubers, Pumbaa," the mother said as she began to eat a tuber.  
  
Pumbaa stuck his tongue out. "I hate tubers. They leave a bad taste in my mouth." He instead tried pushing a nearby log over, barely budging it. It was a little too big for him. He stopped and panted, then blinked when it was suddenly rolled over, revealing several bugs underneath. Pumbaa stood, smiled, and wagged his tail when he noticed an older male warthog finish moving the log over. "Hey, Dad! What are you doing here?"  
  
The father grinned, "Making sure my son doesn't turn to skin and bones."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Now, chow down." Father and son started to chow down on the bugs.  
  
The mother looked over at the two and rolled her eyes. "It must be June," she mumbled to herself. She looked to her daughter and son who were eating tubers. "Don't get attached to having your father around. The next time you see him, you'll probably have kids of your own."  
  
"That's just the way warthog men are. We're loners," the father snorted, and then he belched. He nervously chuckled, "'Cuse me." The mother rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "Remember, our sons are going to be the same way, whether you like it or not."  
  
"Not if _I_ can help it," the mother snorted.   
  
"Mom, Dad, could you try not to fight?" the younger female warthog, Pumbaa's sister, asked.   
  
"We're not fighting, sweetie. We're... _arguing._ There's a difference." She turned back to the father with a furrowed brow. "I have already been working with them. Our sons are going to be perfect gentlemen, with no help from you."   
  
"Oh, so you're saying if a lion happens along, they'll be so polite, they'll stick an apple in their mouths and say 'I'll save you the trouble of chasing me. Go ahead and have a big luau'?" the father asked sarcastically.  
  
"At least then they'd be socializing."  
  
"But that'd be the last thing we'd ever do, Mom!" Pumbaa whimpered.  
  
"I expect you to be polite, not stupid. If a lion comes after you, you _run._"  
  
"Run, run, run, that's your answer to everything," the father said, rolling his eyes. He looked at Pumbaa. "Son, don't listen to everything your mother says. There are times to run, and there are times to fight. You'll know the right time to fight and run, won't you?"  
  
"Uh... I don't know, Dad. It hasn't happened yet."  
  
The father grimaced. "Uh... right." He furrowed his brow at the mother. "Teach him how to be polite instead of teaching him how to be _smart?_"  
  
"I taught him that he comes from a long line of bachelors, that's what I taught him," the mother retorted.   
  
The father was about to say something, but then he stopped. He looked past the mother, into the tall grass, and his eyes widened.   
  
"Dad?" Pumbaa's brother cocked his head.   
  
"Shh..." the father whispered.  
  
The mother noticed his expression and softly asked, "What is it?"  
  
"Run for your burrow. _Now._"   
  
With that, the three younger warthogs and mother turned and ran, hearing five cheetahs growling fiercely as they leap from the grass. The father stayed behind to fight one of the cheetahs while the other four chased the warthogs. Pumbaa was only looking straight ahead as he ran forward as fast as he could. If he ran long enough and far enough, the cheetah would tire. By the time Pumbaa reached the burrow, the cheetah chasing him had stopped chasing him, panting heavily. Defeated, the cheetah started walking back to find his brothers and what they caught.  
  
Pumbaa made it to the bottom of the burrow, panting heavily. He looked towards the opening, waiting for his mother and siblings. He walked back up to the surface to see if they were coming. He saw nothing. "Did I outrun them?" he asked himself. He looked around, and then he went back into his burrow. The sun had set, and that was his bedtime. He climbed into his nest and decided to rest his eyes. They shouldn't be much longer.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"The following morning I woke up in an empty burrow. I went out to look for them, out where the cheetahs surprised us. I couldn't find them, and I never did," Pumbaa said, still in his hypnotic trance.  
  
"So you're an orphan?" Timon asked with a saddened expression.  
  
"Yes. I didn't want to stay in that area. Too many memories. So, until I met you, Timon, I was all alone."  
  
"That's all we need to know. When I snap my fingers, you'll wake up." Timon snapped his fingers in front of Pumbaa's eyes.   
  
Pumbaa shook his head slightly, and then looked at Timon. "Like I said, Timon, you can't hypnotize me. I'm too smart for that."  
  
"Uh, yeah. Sure, buddy," Timon said as he jumped off Pumbaa's snout and tossed the snail shell aside.   
  
"Well, should we try to share another memory?" Uncle Max asked as he held the straws up to the group.  
  
Before anyone could answer, Pete came out from behind the bushes. "Pumbaa!"  
  
Pumbaa rushed over to Pete. "Well, am I a father yet?"  
  
Pete dusted his paws off and smiled, "You sure are, buddy. You can go see your son and daughter now."  
  
"Son and daughter? Yay!" Pumbaa cheered as he ran into the bushes where Pete emerged.  
  
"Guess this means I'm an uncle," Timon grinned as he picked up Kito and went to follow him. Zuri picked up Shani and followed. Ma and Uncle Max followed. When they arrived Pumbaa was already observing the two warthog piglets lying next to Jina. Timon and Zuri walked over to see. "You know what's sad? Even as _babies,_ they're bigger than us."  
  
"Yeah, but when they're older, I can tell our kids will be best friends," Zuri said. She looked at Pumbaa and Jina. "What are their names?"  
  
"He's Bango..." Pumbaa gestured to the male warthog piglet.  
  
"And she's Barika," Jina gestured to the female warthog piglet.  
  
"How sweet," Ma said, clasping her paws together.  
  
"I just hope they don't take after their father too much," Uncle Max said as he covered his nose.  
  
"Hey," Pumbaa frowned.  
  
"Don't worry, Pumbaa," Timon said as he pat Pumbaa on the side. "If Uncle Max can't take it, he can move back to the old tunnels."  
  
"Hey!" Max growled.  
  
"Anyway, thanks for sharing all those great memories," Pumbaa said. "I hope the future will give us a whole lot of great new ones."   
  
Timon smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way, pal." 


End file.
